


In The Bleak Midwinter

by Andromedanewton



Series: Anita Blake/Merry Gentry Crossover [5]
Category: Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter - Laurell K. Hamilton, Merry Gentry - Laurell K Hamilton
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Canon-Typical Violence, Christmas, F/M, Magic, Multi, Smut, character comeback
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-26
Updated: 2016-07-05
Packaged: 2018-07-18 08:11:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 33
Words: 59,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7306957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Andromedanewton/pseuds/Andromedanewton
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Christmas is coming to the Blake household!  Of course, nothing ever goes quite according to plan, especially when Merry and all the guards come to stay.  </p><p>or</p><p>When an unnatural darkness falls over the sky both the human and fey authorities enlist Anita's help in order to solve the mystery before too much of Christmas is lost.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> As if we are on story 5 already!
> 
> Now, this one is a little special, as it has AN ALTERNATE ENDING! I don't remember why, or how, I ended up with two, but they both work so well I can't choose between them so I will post the other ending once we are done at the end with chapter names pointing out the fact it is a small rehash/alternate ending! It is basically alternate smut, I'll be honest, but I guess it needed writing! I have put down 33 chapters as for now I can't figure out how many extra chapters it will add so bear with me!
> 
> As before I will post three chapters a day, an extra one if there is a particularly short chapter, and where there is mind to mind communication I have tried to put a ** either side of the speech. Of course today is just one chapter as a prelude to the rest, due to time constraints tomorrow (this damn thing I have had to start posting twice now due to the website not letting me post it first time. Grrr.)
> 
> Positive feedback is always appreciated!
> 
> And so, chapter one, Christmas shopping. That is a warning. I hate Christmas shopping. Actually I have issues with crowded areas regardless of the time of year. Love the season of goodwill, hate being out in it! Anita and I are together on this one, different reasons but I could channel my hatred of bustling arseholes into her!

“I think she’ll love it.” I said, frowning at Rhys. We’d argued every step of the way and I was ready to quit.  
“It’s not her colour.” He frowned right back. He looked dashing in his grey suit and powder blue shirt, his curly white hair flowing around him, but I wasn't about to let that distract me.  
“Fine, you pick something.” I said slamming the sweater back on the rail. We were Christmas shopping. I folded my arms over my chest and pouted at him. Or at least I tried to. The shoulder holster pulled tight over the scarlet silk blouse I was wearing making it uncomfortable. So instead of just unfolding my arms and losing the effect I walked away and unfolded my arms.  
“I’m not saying it’s not a nice sweater but it’s not Merry’s colour.” He said walking up beside me.  
“Alright, Rhys, I get it. No black for Merry. You just find her something while I go over to the perfume store and get that fragrance Ronnie’s been banging on about.” I started to walk towards the exit but Rhys caught my arm and turned me to him.  
“Christmas shopping is meant to be fun.” He said quirking his eyebrow at me.  
“No, its not. It’s about greedy people all fighting for the last new Barbie doll or whatever in a rush of elbows and credit cards.”  
“Go get the cologne.” He said shaking his head. I hadn’t got five steps from him when he called; “Merry Christmas, Anita.”  
“Bah humbug!” I called back with a grin.  
The mall was on special opening hours over Christmas. Most stores were open 24/7 and Rhys and I had decided to try and do the majority late on a Monday evening. I had no raisings for the next two nights, the animating trade having dropped off for now in its annual lull. Rhys had had Ronnie drop him off at my office and we’d come straight to the mall at seven. Even now an hour and a half later it was still busy, although not the heaving mass of bodies it would have been three hours ago. I had a long winter coat in the car but had left it behind; as I knew the mall itself would be warm. My short bottle green skirt suit and thick hose didn’t go with the white Nikes I had on but it was snowing heavily outside and I was not struggling with shopping in heels, no way.  
So far we’d managed to pick out gifts for all of the guards except Frost who was proving difficult, and Merry. Everything I thought Merry would like, Rhys thought it wasn’t her, or not her colour, or she won’t like it. I’d also picked up gifts for my family, Jason, Asher and even Jean Claude. The Pard had been relatively easy too. That meant tomorrow I got to go shopping with Ronnie for Rhys’ present. I’d already picked up a few novelty items for him, silly little gifts, but I wanted to get him something special. I was totally stumped. I was going to call Merry later and see if she could give me a clue.  
I paid for the perfume for Ronnie then went and stood outside again to wait for Rhys. Honestly, he shopped like a girl sometimes. I wandered down the row of stores back towards where I’d left him. And then I saw it. There was a relatively new store that sold movie memorabilia and in the window, framed, was a trench coat. Not just any trench coat, as worn by Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca. Oh my God, Rhys would have a fit if I got him that! It was perfect! I glanced around towards the store where he was and couldn’t see him coming. I darted inside; luckily there was no one else in the store but the assistant.  
“I want the Bogart coat.” I said handing over my credit card, “Can I pay for it now and pick it up tomorrow?”  
“Certainly.” The assistant beamed. “The price is…”  
“I don’t care about the price.” I smiled. “But there is the chance my boyfriend might come around the corner any second so could you put it through quickly?”  
“Of course.” He scanned my card and I looked towards the door. Rhys was walking towards the perfume store. I signed the slip and gave the clerk a business card.  
“That’s my details. I’ll be in tomorrow to pick it up.”  
“Certainly, Ms Blake. Thank you.” I went to the door as he took the framed coat out of the window. I glanced right to see Rhys’ back disappearing into the store. I was in luck. I walked back towards it, past the lingerie store next door and back into the perfume store.  
“Rhys.” I called.  
He turned towards me with a smile. “I thought you were in here.”  
“I was. I nipped into the store next door.”  
“See anything you liked?” he grinned at me.  
“No, I didn’t get much of a chance to look. I saw you walk by.”  
“We could go back in and have a look together.” He raised an eyebrow at me as we walked out of the store.  
“Nah. I was just killing time.” I said nonchalantly, knowing full well we’d end up in the store anyway. It was a pastime both Jean Claude and Rhys shared, buying me underwear. I had one chest of drawers dedicated to it. Three drawers. One full of normal everyday wear, which were pretty sexy on their own, one full of lingerie from Rhys and the other from Jean Claude, although he also kept a lot more in his room at the Circus of the Damned. “So I’m just about ready for a coffee.”  
“You sure you don’t want to have a proper look?” He said taking my hand.  
“I don’t think so. I think I have enough underwear, don’t you?”  
“You can never have too much lingerie.” He grinned.  
“Alright we’ll go in.” I sighed dramatically and rolled my eyes.  
Twenty minutes later we left the store with yet another shopping bag.  
“So what the hell are we going to get Frost?” I asked.  
“I have no idea.” Rhys shook his head. “He’s such a pain to buy for. He’s worse than Merry.”  
“By the way what did you pick out for Merry?”  
“You know that sweater you picked out?”  
“Yeah.”  
“They had it in blue. I got her that.”  
“So besides the colour my choice was fine?”  
“Yep. You two have real similar taste in some things, just not colour.”  
“Yeah, she loves silver, I love white.” I said with a slight smile.  
“If you love white that much why don’t you get engaged to him?”  
I sighed. “I thought you’d given up on the idea.”  
“No, I just stopped mentioning it every week.” He’d been going on about us getting engaged for two months now and I was still refusing. He and Jean Claude had been trying to convince me it wasn’t a bad idea but I wasn’t buying it. Between them they’d made the point that the fourth mark between a vampire and human servant was the equivalent of marriage, therefore the third mark was the precursor to the marriage, which made it an engagement. Which meant by their twisted logic I was engaged to Jean Claude already but not to Rhys. I always tried to keep it fair between the two boys but on this one I just couldn’t. I’d have to set down some rules if it ever came to it though.  
“I told you before, Rhys. An engagement means at some point there will be a wedding and as I have no intention of taking the fourth mark to get engaged to you would lead you on unfairly.”  
“I know there’s not likely to be a wedding anytime soon.” He said with a frustrated moan. “I’d just like that little bit of commitment from you.”  
“We already live together, and you use my surname.”  
“Just one little ring?”  
“No, Rhys. I already have more rings than I’ve ever had my entire life. Anyway engagement rings are bulky. I’d get it caught on everything.”  
He sighed heavily. “I don’t understand your reluctance, Anita, I really don’t.”  
And then it hit me. “Neither do I.”  
“What?” he looked at me, surprised. I knew how he felt.  
“I don’t know why I’m so reluctant. I mean it was originally because…can we go sit somewhere to talk about this?” We’d stopped in the middle of the highway of shoppers.  
“Hell yes.” He had a glimmer in his eye I thought was hope. We took the shopping back to my brand new jeep, the last one I had wrapped around a tree, and came back to a little Italian restaurant. We ordered spaghetti and meatballs and two almond coffees then Rhys spoke. “What did you mean by you don’t understand your reluctance?”  
“I mean I don’t know why I’m so reluctant.” I shook my head. “I mean I know why I’m reluctant to get engaged, because I’ve been there twice already, an engagement doesn’t mean commitment. I just mean I don’t know why I’m reluctant to get engaged to you.”  
“You mean you have a thing against engagement in general?” He raised an eyebrow.  
“I think so yes.” I nodded.  
“You never heard the phrase third time lucky?”  
“Of course I have.” I laughed. “But by your reasoning then Jean Claude is third, you’d be fourth.”  
“Damn my reasoning.” He reached over and took one of my hands in both of his. “Won’t you at least reconsider? Now you’ve admitted that you don’t know why you haven’t said yes?”  
I sighed, long and deep. “I’ll think about it.”  
He grinned at me. “That’s not no.”  
“It’s not a yes either.” I said trying to keep a straight face.  
“But it’s not a no. There’s hope.”  
I kept quiet but realised there was hope. The main reason I’d said no in the first place was because of Jean Claude and he seemed to approve of the idea for some weird reason. He probably thought if we got engaged then I’d be a step nearer marriage aka the fourth mark. He couldn’t be more wrong but I guess if he was okay with it in theory there was nothing to stop Rhys and I getting engaged. We’d even had the okay to get married from the Queen of Air and Darkness herself. Rhys and I had proved, albeit accidentally, that we were a mating pair, which to the Unseelie meant you got married. So permission all round. All we needed was me to be ready…I really had to think about this.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The hell that is Christmas shopping is over; Anita and Rhys meet the new master vamp in town.

We finally picked out a shirt for Frost. It was metallic silver, almost the same colour as his hair. Rhys seemed to think he’d be delighted to have a regular day shirt that shade. We went to the Circus to see Jean Claude as planned and let ourselves in through the staff entrance, Jean Claude had given me a key just over a month ago after I was locked out of both home and the circus by a bizarre serious of incidents. I’d driven round for four hours in the cold trying to find someone I knew who was home without any luck. Neither of the boys had been happy about it but it was just one of those things. Now I was under strict instructions to carry a charger for my cell phone in the glove compartment at all times and never let my main keys out of my sight.  
“It was too the same hand!” I said.  
“No, it was the opposite one, I’m certain of it.” Rhys shook his head.  
“You think a movie that major would have such a huge continuity error?” I scoffed. “I don’t think so; the fans would have a fit.” We reached the bottom of the stairs to Jean Claude’s chambers under the circus and I stopped in my tracks, not going to the door. “There’s a strange master in there with Jean Claude and Asher.” My eyes slid out of focus slightly as I concentrated.   
“Maybe we should alert Jean Claude to our presence.”  
“No. He already knows we’re here. Wait.” I put a hand on his arm as he stepped towards the door.  
**“You may enter now, ma petite.”** Jean Claude’s voice came to me.  
“Now we can go in.” I nodded and moved to the door.  
“You sure it’s safe?” Rhys said touching my arm gently.  
“Jean Claude didn’t warn us otherwise.” I said and opened the large door.  
Jean Claude sat on the sofa, or maybe sat was too casual a word for what he was doing. His arms were spread to either side of him along the back of the sofa, his legs tucked up beside him. His body was relaxed despite the skintight leather pants, which would have made me tense up or at least make it hard to relax, his white frilled shirt hanging open completely, his soft black hair curling over his shoulders. Asher stood behind the sofa to one side dressed in an outfit almost a mirror of Jean Claude’s except his shirt was black and buttoned. His hair, as golden as Frost’s was silver, hung loose around his face, hiding the scars that lay there.   
The person that held my attention however was a woman sitting opposite Jean Claude. She stood and turned as we entered. Her blonde hair was piled on top of her head in a slick style that probably took more time than I took to get ready for a night out all together. Her features were almost model perfect; she had the high cheekbones but she was a little too thin, a little too drawn. She stood at almost six foot in her heels, her tasteful black cocktail dress flaring at the knee allowing her easy movement. She stared at Rhys and I with dull brown eyes. She was old, six hundred, almost. She had been almost forty when she ‘died’ if the lines around her eyes were anything to go by.  
Jean Claude stood gracefully and his silken voice washed over us. “Genevieve, may I present Anita Blake, my human servant and Rhys, Crom Cruach of the Unseelie.”  
I moved forward with Rhys a step behind me; I knew where my place was when Jean Claude was entertaining visiting masters. “Go stand beside Asher.” I sent to Rhys, keeping my face blank. He did as I said and I moved to stand beside Jean Claude. He tilted his head to one side as I approached and I went up on my tiptoes to plant a soft kiss on the pulse in his throat. It was a vampire greeting, showing he trusted me implicitly. I stepped away from him slowly and traced my fingers down his arm as though I was going to hold his hand but stopped with my fingertips on his pulse.  
“Ma petite, this it Genevieve. She has asked my permission to live in St Louis.”  
“Really?” I said looking at her. She glanced down at my hand on his wrist then back up at my face.  
“Really.” She replied, her accent holding the slightest French lilt. “So you are the famed Executioner?”  
“I have that honour.” I kept my tone level, letting nothing into my voice as I was doing my face.  
“I expected someone more…impressive.” She frowned slightly and I added another five years to her age at crossing over.  
“St Louis truth number twenty-four, the Executioner is shorter than you think.” I invented.  
Her face quirked as a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “I apologise if my remark insulted you, Anita.”  
“Apology accepted, Genevieve, but I’m harder to insult than that.” I nodded slightly to her. If she was going to use my name, I was going to use hers. “If you don’t mind me asking, what is a master of almost six hundred years old doing petitioning the master of St Louis for accommodation?”  
She raised her eyebrows and looked at Jean Claude. “She’s good.”  
“Ma petite is the best.” He said raising my hand to his lips for a soft kiss.  
“My question?” I interrupted them.  
“I have heard Jean Claude is a most reasonable master, perhaps the best. I wish to offer him my allegiance, among other things.” She did not look at me but continued to stare at Jean Claude as she spoke.  
I wanted to ask what kind of other things although I could tell. The odour of lust leaked from her subtly, so subtly I wasn’t even sure Jean Claude had noticed. “Your loyalty and allegiance will be enough, Genevieve.” Jean Claude said turning to look at me. I mirrored his movements so we were facing and moved his hand to caress my cheek. “Ma petite is more than enough for me.” Ah so he had noticed. He kissed me softly then stared into my eyes as we parted. They shone slightly and I knew it was from the power he was leeching from the presence of Rhys and myself but I didn’t mind anymore. It was what Jean Claude did.  
“You are not the third of their famed triumvirate.” Jean Claude and I turned as one to see Genevieve looking at Rhys.  
“No, I’m not.” Rhys replied.  
“But you share a link?”  
“We do.”  
“Most interesting.” She nodded licking her lips.  
“Back to the point.” I said. She seemed more than casually interested in both my men, something that worried me a little. She was acting as though Asher wasn’t there at all but the other two? She was like a bitch on heat and they were the only tail around for miles.  
“Of course, ma petite, ever the voice of reason.” He kissed my temple and turned to face Genevieve again. “I permit you to reside within the bounds of St Louis, Genevieve. Saturday evening you will come to the circus for the blood oath, tying you to me and my people. Until you settle, if you need somewhere to stay, you are welcome to stay here at the circus. Hunt freely in the city but only those willing.”  
“Jean Claude, Master of the City of St Louis.” She curtsied slightly. “I thank you for your gracious offer of shelter however I have residence already arranged.”  
“Very well.”  
“And if I may, I will bid you goodnight.”  
We said our goodbyes and she left the room, Asher escorting her.  
“Well she was hot for you two.” I said as Rhys came to stand on the opposite side of me to Jean Claude.  
“What she feels for us is of no consequence, ma petite.” Jean Claude said placing a hand on each of our shoulders. “Our powers together would negate anything she could offer any of us. Now, how was your shopping trip?”  
“Tiring.” I said.  
“Enlightening.” Rhys said. He and Jean Claude shared a look that I recognised. They were talking about me. Okay, maybe talking wasn’t the right word but they were doing it all the same.  
“Hello? I’m standing right here.” I waved a hand between them as they both laughed slightly.  
“Je suis desole, ma petite. Rhys and I were just sharing a moment of…male bonding.”  
“Yeah, at my expense.” I complained.  
“But did you get all the shopping you were hoping to?”  
“Just.” I said rolling my eyes.  
“There was some sort of disagreement?” Jean Claude said sitting on the sofa. Rhys and I both sat a moment later.  
“There’s always a disagreement when Anita’s concerned.” Rhys said. “But not as major as it could have been.”  
“Ah, bon. Mais de quel était le désaccord?”  
“Genevieve’s French isn’t she?” I said.  
“Oui.”  
“That explains the fact you keep breaking into it. Could we have that question again in English?”  
“My apologies to you both. Asher and I were speaking before she arrived, and then when she did and she spoke in French…Je suis desole, ma petite. I asked what the disagreement was about.”  
“Merry's present.” Rhys said.  
“What was the problem?”  
“Anita picked out the wrong thing.”  
“I did not! I chose a really nice sweater; I just saw the black one first. Then Rhys complained Merry doesn’t wear black so I went to get Ronnie’s present and while I was gone he got her the same sweater in blue. So my choice was good, just the colour was wrong.” I folded my arms over my chest.  
“And it was crowded with happy people.” I caught Rhys wink at Jean Claude.  
“And none of it rubbed off?” Jean Claude said although I knew he was joking.  
“Bite me.” I said.  
“Such an offer.” Jean Claude said and moved before I saw him. He moved me quickly, pushing me back into Rhys’ lap in a blur of motion. He stopped above me and smiled showing fangs; something I knew took more effort than to hide them. “You tease with such words, ma petite.”  
“Yep.” I smiled back.  
“And you know what such an offer, even teasingly does to me.”  
“Yep.” I smiled a little more.  
“You are so, so…” He screwed up his face trying to find the right word. “Frustrating.”  
“I know.”  
“And that makes it all the worse.” Rhys said, and I tilted my head back to look at him.  
“I know that too.” I grinned.  
“I will have my revenge on you, someday, ma petite.”  
“You two already get revenge by ganging up on me behind my back. It irritates the hell out of me.”  
“Oui, I suppose it does.” He planted a quick kiss on my lips and sat up again. “So how have your arrangements for Christmas been going?”  
Jean Claude was referring to the fact that Merry and the guards were coming to have a great big Christmas at our place. No, that didn’t mean I was cooking, what it meant was a cold buffet at my place for whoever showed up. I’m not big on entertaining but Nathaniel was proving damned capable in the kitchen. He’d organised everything from the food and drink to hiring extra plates and glasses. It was pretty much open house. The Pard, Jason and Merry and the guards were coming over from about ten and the vamps from full dark. All my other friends were invited to call by whenever they wanted and to stay for however long they wanted. This invitation had even been extended to Richard although I knew he’d be spending the day with his family in one great big Walton-type ritual. Still I’d offered, no one could say I wasn’t extending the hand of friendship.  
I’d bitten the bullet about a month ago and called my Dad to explain why I wouldn’t be joining the family for Christmas this year. Because I’m spending it with the guy I’m living with. Oh God had they flipped. I hadn’t told them about Rhys and I had been lucky in so far as they didn’t see the pictures of the two of us from June that were splashed all over the press. But I got the riot act then. No its not Jean Claude, yes I’m still seeing him, no he’s not human, he’s fey, yes he has a regular job, I didn’t tell you sooner because I haven’t spoken to you in months, no we’re not engaged, yes I realise we’re living in sin but I’m screwing a vampire too so do you think this’ll make a bit of difference? Boy that last one went over well. I made the mistake of calling Dad when I was tired, cranky, cut up from a were attack and dirty. So my bad mood had kind of swayed the conversation toward sarcastic. I called back the following day and apologised then told the whole story of how we’d met, how we’d got together, the works. Well the PG-13 version at least. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed telling my Dad the story and how much I loved Rhys, how well we got on. Dad was so pleased he not only forgave me but invited Rhys and I to spend a weekend with them after Christmas. So I was back in the good books and had a family rendezvous to look forward to. Rhys was looking forward to it more than me actually. He couldn’t wait to meet my folks. I had this weird notion in the back of my head he was going to ask my Dad’s permission to ask me to marry him. I sure hoped not.  
“It’s coming on real well. Nathaniel is organising everything.”  
“Nathaniel?”   
I sat up and took in the look of surprise on his face. “Maybe organising it is a bit too strong a term. I’ve told him what I want and he’s doing it. He is using a lot of initiative though.”  
“You’ve found a way for him to be more assertive without realising it himself.” Jean Claude nodded. “Perhaps just what he needs.”  
“Cherry and Zane are helping out too but Nathaniel is in charge. You should see him trying out recipes. Anyone comes near him and he loses his temper. It’s like he doesn’t want anyone to see what he’s doing until he’s finished.”  
“Except Anita. She’s allowed near the kitchen whenever she wants.” Rhys complained. I knew Nathaniel had told him off for getting a coffee last night when he was trying to figure out the best glaze for a ham. I’d sat in the living room listening to them argue with barely contained laughter. It was nice to hear Nathaniel raise his voice, even if it was over something so trivial. I knew he was only making such a fuss because he wanted everything to be perfect for my sake but still, he was asserting himself more than I’d ever seen. And I was proud of him.  
“Is there anything you need for Asher, Damian or myself to bring with us? Is it a bring your own pomme affair?”  
I laughed, we all laughed. “Well seeing as your pomme is an invited guest I’d say not really but kind of. But if you could ‘eat’ before you come over I’d appreciate it, just in case Ronnie or Dolph or anyone is there. So I’ll keep Jason off the alcohol until he’s come home and fed you.”  
“Do not worry, ma petite. I will find another donor for the night, let Jason enjoy his day.”  
“I’m sure he’ll appreciate it.” I nodded.  
Rhys left Jean Claude and I alone an hour later. He went up to the circus to watch the side-shows so Jean Claude and I had some alone time. He had the better deal, living with me he got to go to bed with me every night but Jean Claude and I rarely got alone time. It was weird going home with Rhys while basking in the afterglow of sex with Jean Claude but we’d got used to it. I mean, it had been going on for six months now. Enough time for even me to get used to the idea.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ronnie doesn't understand complicated relationships. Nathaniel yells (which is a rare enough occasion in itself to rate a mention!).

Merry was flying in this evening and had not only booked a hotel room but a hire car as well. Or rather a mini-van. It was just easier. She and Galen were the only two who drove now, the only other guard with a license had been Rhys and he wasn’t even her guard anymore. Her office had closed down for the holidays, even mine was closing from the day before Christmas Eve so in three days time we’d all be free until January! Yay! Unless any police work or executions came up between now and then. Then it would be Anita to the rescue again.  
“He’s not going to be home.” I told Ronnie as we pulled up onto the drive. We’d been to the mall and I’d picked up Rhys’ gift. I’d even paid extra for the mall gift wrapping service. It saved me a job.  
“Definitely?” Ronnie checked for the hundredth time.  
“Definitely. He’s meeting Merry at the airport as we speak.” Sure enough his car wasn’t there, in fact the drive was empty apart from Ronnie’s car which we’d dropped off earlier.  
“Why is Rhys meeting Merry? I thought she was hiring a car.” Ronnie frowned at me as I turned off the engine.  
“He’s missed them.” I shrugged getting out and sinking up to my ankles in fresh snow. I’d forgotten to throw my sneakers in the car this morning and my hose was soaked through. “I’ll just see if Nathaniel’s here. If he’s not busy he can give us a hand with the frame.”  
“Don’t you think it’s a little odd though?” Ronnie said calling after me as she took bags out of the back seat and followed me.  
“What’s odd?” I frowned as I carefully made my way to the door avoiding the path. It was dark already and the floor was like a skating rink where the snow had frozen.  
“That he misses Merry so much.”  
“Not really.” I shrugged as I balanced myself on the porch. “They were friends before he became her guard.”  
“Well I think it’s weird.”   
I opened the front door and turned to look at her. “If there’s something you want to say Ronnie just say it.”  
She sighed and moved through to the lounge to dump the bags. “I’m just saying it’s unusual for someone to miss their ex employer so much when they are in a new relationship.”  
“Ronnie you work with Rhys. You know him. Are you trying to tell me you think he’s got a thing for Merry?” I stared at her.  
“No.” She shook her head. “At least I don’t think so. He just, he talks about her almost as much as he does you.”  
“They’re friends. Anyway he and Merry were never an item. More…” I struggled for the right phrase, “fuck buddies.”  
She raised an eyebrow. She didn’t know Merry’s situation. “He used to sleep with Merry?” Her jaw fell open.  
“Yeah.” I walked away toward the kitchen to find Nathaniel. “Didn’t you know that?”  
“No. He’s mentioned they used to go out on dates when she lived at court and insinuated that he and Merry were dating before he came to live with you. I had no idea he’d slept with her.”  
“Oh okay. Don’t tell him I told you then.” Nathaniel was at the table reading a cook book with Cherry and Zane both sat at the table doing a crossword together. “Guys, I need a hand.” I said as they all looked up at me.  
“Sure.” Nathaniel said and they all got up. I kicked off my shoes and swapped them for the Nikes I’d had on yesterday which were drying by the door. “What do you need?” Nathaniel said before he went outside.  
“There’s a large parcel, very breakable. I need it bringing in and putting either under my bed or behind one of the wardrobes. It’s Rhys’ gift.”  
“You stay here, we’ll get it.”  
“Thanks.” I smiled at him. I went back to the kitchen and poured two coffees and handed one to Ronnie. “The fact Rhys has slept with Merry has nothing to do with it. They were just two friends having sex which while I don’t understand it, it worked for them. Merry is in love with Frost, Rhys is in love with me, end of story.” I put a good slosh of cream into my cup followed by sugar.  
“But he still misses her, a lot.”  
“Ronnie, you are making too big a deal out of this.” I shook my head. “It’d be like…oh hell I don’t have a good example but its not like that at all. Rhys was Merry’s guard. She was his world because the queen said so, because if anything happened to her then the guards would pay. They developed an even stronger friendship because of it. End of story.”  
“Alright, I’m sorry I bought it up.” She added cream but not sugar to her coffee.  
“You think you and Louie are going to pop by Christmas day?” I changed the subject quickly before she started on it again.  
“Not sure. Probably not though.”  
“No problem. I’m not pressuring anyone to come over, just want a vague idea of who’s going to be here. Oh that and I didn’t think you’d come anyway.”  
“You didn’t?” it was her turn to frown. “Why not?”  
“Because Louie doesn’t like me anymore.”  
“Of course he likes you.”  
“No, he doesn’t.” I shook my head again. “And I don’t blame him but it’s put a crimp on our friendship.” Louie was Richard’s best friend. We’d got on well until I ripped out Richard’s heart and danced all over it.  
She sighed. “I know. But we still do stuff together. I’ve made sure of that, even if we don’t go out as a foursome.”  
“And I appreciate it. But you know why I didn’t expect you to come?”  
“Sure.” She nodded. “Just because you and Louie have a difference of opinion doesn’t stop us being friends. Anyway we would never have met if not for you.”  
“I guess.” I shrugged. I heard the Pard coming through the door. Cherry was holding it open as Nathaniel and Zane carried it. “Thanks again, guys.”  
“No problem.” Zane said with a wink and a flash of pointy teeth.  
“I’m guessing they’re all going to be here for Christmas?” Ronnie raised an eyebrow.  
“Oh yeah. Nathaniel’s cooking.” I moved to the fridge and opened the door.  
“GET OUT OF THE FRIDGE!” I heard Nathaniel yell from upstairs.  
“Sorry!” I called back and shut the door. “He’s keeping it a secret.” I said with a smile.  
“You have a weird family, Anita.” She smiled at me.  
“I know. Great, isn’t it?”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merry arrives; Anita gets called out and things start to go wrong.

“Where do you want these?” Galen asked carrying a box through the front door. Rhys had come back from the airport and told me that the gang were coming over for take out for dinner and a good catching up session.  
“What are they?”  
“Bottles of wine.”  
I frowned at him. “How many?”   
“About three dozen.”  
“Three dozen? How many people do you think I’m entertaining?” I opened the door to the walk in larder.  
“We can drink a lot more than humans.” He said putting the box on the floor.  
“Same with the weres.” I nodded. “Sounds like I’m going to be the nearest person to being human and the only one not drinking.”  
“Oh come on, Anita, its Christmas. Won’t you even have one drink?”  
“I might have one when Jean Claude gets here, just to give him the opportunity to try some wine but that’s it.”  
“Boring.” He said and slung his arm over my shoulder.   
“Sensible.” I said. “I’ll have you know that some of us are on call despite the holiday season.”  
“How’d you manage that? I thought your company shuts down tomorrow?” We walked through to the lounge where Merry and the rest of the guards were with Rhys.  
“It does, but crime doesn’t take a vacation, Galen.”  
“What’s this?” Merry said as she came towards me.  
“Anita’s on call over Christmas.” Galen screwed up his nose.  
I hugged Merry as I spoke, “As is the rest of RPIT. How are you, Merry?”  
“Good.” She nodded. “I hope they’re paying you well.”  
“It’ll come in through the company eventually, but Bert has promised me a big bonus if I get called in.” I shrugged.  
“That’s not the point though. You can’t relax fully if you’re on call.” Rhys complained.  
“Fully relax? Anita?” Doyle laughed. He seemed more relaxed than I’d ever seen him. “That would be a first.”  
“Outside of the bedroom, yeah.” Rhys grinned.  
I stuck my tongue out at him. “Listen guys, I ate at the mall with Ronnie so work out whatever you want for dinner amongst yourselves okay?” Ronnie had left about twenty minutes before this rabble arrived. There were murmurs and I moved through the room saying hi to everyone. There seemed to be a few more presents under the tree than there had been this morning and someone had hung some more ornaments. Probably Nathaniel’s doing. I kissed Rhys as I went past, feeling pleased with myself at having got his present, and went upstairs to change.  
I was almost done, just pulling a sweater over my head, when the phone rang. As I was by the bedside I picked it up first.  
“Blake.”  
“Ma petite, I require your assistance.” Jean Claude sounded stressed, something I rarely heard from him.  
“What’s wrong?”  
“It would appear one of my people has gone…strange. I think we will have to hunt her.”  
“Strange how?”  
“Strange as in on a murderous rampage, revenant. It would be best we found her, and quickly.”  
“Sure. Where do you want to meet?”  
“Meet me outside The Laughing Corpse. I will be there shortly.”  
I hung up and took the sweater off again. I’d never get to the Browning in a hurry with that on. Instead I threw thick shirt over my T-shirt and didn’t do up the cuffs. I could get to my wrist sheaths easily now. I slid on the sneakers I’d just taken off and ran down the stairs. I stopped in the doorway to the lounge and threw on my winter coat although it was rather more cumbersome than I’d have liked, I’d freeze without it.  
“I have to go meet Jean Claude. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”  
“Everything okay?” Rhys stood and walked towards me.  
“No idea.” I shook my head. “It’s urgent, I know that much. I’m going to The Laughing Corpse. If I’ve not called you in two hours try and call me, if no luck come to the club, maybe someone there will know what’s going on.” I kissed him quickly and went to move away.  
“Something’s going on.” He said. “Or you wouldn’t have told me to try and call you in two hours.”  
“I don’t know, Rhys. Jean Claude said it was urgent and that he needed me. I’m just covering my bases.” I didn't see any point in worrying him about a revenant vamp, that really was mine and Jean Claude's area of expertise, but if I told him he might want to come with and really he had host duties with Merry. Jean Claude and I would manage.  
“Okay, take care. Call me if you need back up.”  
“Of course.” I said with a smile and went outside. I knew I was lying to him but didn’t want him dragged in on this, not if it wasn’t necessary.  
It started snowing again as I drove and it was almost blizzard conditions by the time I reached the ‘Corpse. I parked a little way up the street and walked down the street. I moved my Browning to my coat pocket so I could keep my hands warm and have the gun handy. I’d specifically bought a coat with large pockets this winter for just such an occasion. I was shivering in the sub-zero temperatures and wished once again for a normal life, one where I didn’t have to forgo gloves because they made holding a gun difficult, and where I could wear a sweater and a coat buttoned up without worrying about weapon access. People were sheltering in doorways and hailing cabs, or rushing to another destination, all bundled up against the cold, lucky bastards. Still it was a personal choice. I’d choose cold over dead any day.  
I heard screams from the direction of the club and broke into a run, drawing my Browning as I went. Maybe it was unrelated, and maybe I was about to settle down to a nice white picket fence lifestyle.  
I could see a struggle going on in front of the club. I levelled my gun as I drew nearer and yelled; “Hold it!” as I stopped…or tried to. My feet slid on the slushy ice of the pavement and I carried on past them at high speed. I pointed the gun back at the ground and put my arms out to either side to try and balance. I tried to pick one of my feet up. BIG mistake. My other leg slid away from me and I hit the ground on my right shoulder, jarring the Browning from my hand and twisting my ankle with a resounding crack in the process. I slid to a stop and grabbed my Browning then pulled myself to my feet. To add insult to injury I was now soaking wet down one side. On the plus side however the scuffle was over and only one person remained.   
I got to my feet and limped my way over to the club. The vic, I guessed, was sitting on the step breathing heavily. It was a man, his hand clutched to his throat.  
“You okay?” I asked as I stopped beside him. He looked up at me a little wide-eyed and nodded. “What happened?”  
“I don’t know, not really. I just came down the street and this woman asked if I had a light then she jumped on me and bit my neck.”  
“Let me see?” He moved his hand, which was holding a tissue to his throat. A small piece of flesh had been torn away and it was bleeding freely. It was a vamp bite but a rough one, as though they’d just wanted at the blood, regardless of how they got at it. He was lucky it wasn’t his artery or he’d have been dead. “You’ll need to get that checked out.” I said sliding the Browning away. “Go inside the club and get them to call for an ambulance. Tell them Anita Blake sent you in.”  
“Thanks.” He nodded as he stood. “Thanks for scaring her off too.”  
“No problem.” I smiled slightly. He went inside and I glanced around hoping to see Jean Claude. I clenched and unclenched my hands trying to get a little circulation going, which wasn’t easy right handed, as I didn’t want to relinquish my hold on the gun. My ankle was throbbing heavily and I hoped the marks would kick soon and stop it. Right now I didn’t think I could walk far, let alone run. Fat lot of good that’d be.  
“You’re here and injured. How delicious.” A female voice came from my right and I turned, starting to draw my gun slowly. A figure emerged through the falling snow like an angel, but I knew this was no cherub.  
“Gretchen.” I whispered. I’d had trouble with Gretchen before. She’d been jealous of Jean Claude and me and had beaten me mercilessly. This time however I didn’t plan on being at her mercy.  
“You remember me. Good.” Her soft voice seemed to echo slightly in the snowy air and she approached me, her slow, careful steps reminding me of the Pard when they hunted. “I’ve dreamt about you often.”  
I raised my gun to point at her. “What do you want?” Come on, Jean Claude, where were you? Not that I needed his help but if Gretchen wasn’t the vamp he wanted help with, to kill her might piss him off.  
“I’ve wanted this moment for so long.” She said, her voice going higher, almost a singsong tone to it. She ignored my question.  
“You’re still pissed Jean Claude wanted me and not you, right?” I raised an eyebrow.  
“He’ll be mine.” She smiled, showing too much fang. She seemed drawn the closer she got, her skin almost paper thin and clinging to her bones. I moved around so I’d have a better shot and tried to spread my legs for a better stance but my ankle wouldn’t allow it. I had to make do with a teacup grip without the stance. They say   
hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Well, let me tell you, a vamp woman scorned is a hell of a lot scarier.  
She moved quickly and although I saw her she slammed into me before I got a shot off. She clamped her hand around my right wrist and squeezed until I dropped the gun, crying out with the pain. I moved my left hand quickly to punch her jaw but she was faster and turned around me as though it was a dance move, dragging my right hand behind my back. The entire motion took less than two seconds from the moment she jumped me to the moment she kicked my sore ankle and I collapsed to the ground. She squeezed my wrist harder as she pushed me face down onto the wet pavement and I knew the exact second the bone broke, or maybe shattered was the right word. I screamed out loud and connected with Rhys and Jean Claude through the marks as I did so. Jean Claude was almost here, flying in so to speak. Rhys was sitting on the couch eating Chinese food. I’d kill him, you’re not meant to eat Chinese food on a white couch!  
Gretchen turned me onto my back and released my wrist. She bent over me, her blond hair swirling around. “Goodnight, Anita.” She smiled cruelly at me. She drew back her hand to strike and I knew she intended to rip my throat out. I drew my Firestar left handed as she threw back her head and laughed and fired point blank into her chest. The bullets in the Firestar weren’t as potent as those in the Browning but they’d do the job. Her back exploded as her fingers raked at my throat, tearing the skin but doing no more than surface damage. She looked surprised to say the least. She fell to her side, motionless beside me as I let my body catch up with what had happened. At some point I’d started to cry, not sobs, just tears, from the pain I thought. I was shaking slightly and didn’t think I could move just yet. The doors of the club crashed open and Willie McCoy, friend and vamp, came through them quickly.  
“Anita? Shit.” He said crouching beside me. “What happened?”  
“Just call an ambulance, Willie, okay? Oh and the cops.”  
“I can’t leave you out here like this.” He shook his head. “The boss’d kill me.”  
I felt Jean Claude seconds before Willie did, our heads moving in tandem to where Jean Claude suddenly stood beside us.  
“Ma bonté ce qu'est arrivée?” he said crouching on my other side. “Je vois que vous avez trouvé Gretchen.”  
“In English, Jean Claude.” I said gritting my teeth. I was having a hard time deciding whether my ankle or wrist hurt worse.  
“Sorry, what happened? Gretchen found you.” He glanced at her still form beside me.  
“You just answered your own question.” I smiled slightly at him. “She broke my wrist.”  
“I just called an ambulance for this other guy. Maybe I’d better get another one sent.” Willie said.  
“Une bonne idée.” Jean Claude nodded and Willie moved off.  
“Can you take me inside or something? I’m getting wetter.”  
“Of course, ma petite.” He lifted me effortlessly and as we went through the doors I heard sirens getting closer.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anita deals with the consequences of Gretchen's actions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know there was a reason Anita mentally thought about rainbows, but I'm damned if I can remember! I do know my friend Nats and I had a damn good laugh about it!
> 
> Pic will come of me in full Anita regalia! I am in a rush this morning however and just want to get posted!

They’d drugged me. The paramedics drugged me. It worked for a while, then my body started to process it and it wore off. While it was in effect however I did pick up Jean Claude sending to Rhys, informing him of what had happened. It was like picking up short wave radio, a little out of tune but I got the gist of it.  
**“You must meet us…hospital, Anita hurt…soon.”**  
**“I’ll be…possible. Take care…her.”**  
**“Rainbows sparkling bitch can bite me.” I added.**  
“Ma petite, rest.” Jean Claude put a hand on my forehead.  
“I can’t. It hurts.” I moved my head slightly to look at him.  
“Relax. Laisser ma voix vous dirige à un sommeil bénin.” He spoke softly. I slid into a dreamless darkness, hardly a sleep but close enough.  
I awoke to a sudden pain but couldn’t place where it was. My eyes opened slowly on a white ceiling.  
“She’s awake.” I heard a male voice I didn’t recognise then Rhys came into view on my left side, Jean Claude on my right.  
“How are you feeling?” Rhys smiled down at me.  
“In pain, but okay, I think.” I moved my arms automatically to help me sit up but Rhys put his hands on my shoulders to hold me in place. I realised my right arm was held still as though in a vice.  
“You need to lay still for now, honey.” He took my left hand in his right. “They’re just setting your leg.”  
“My what?” I lifted my head slightly and glanced down my body to a man in a white coat overseeing a nurse slapping plaster on my foot. I was wearing a hospital gown and seemed to be in a private room.  
“You broke your ankle and your wrist was shattered.” Jean Claude said softly.  
I looked up at him. “I broke my wrist, sure, but my ankle? I just twisted it.”  
“Not according to the x-rays.” Rhys said bringing my attention back to him.  
“Dammit.” I laid my head back against the pillows and sighed. “How long will I have to be in plaster?”  
“It will depend on how you heal, bel ange. I would say you should have x-rays weekly at least to ensure it is taken off at the proper time. However your wrist may take longer. You have had pins inserted to assist the healing process.”  
“Great.” I closed my eyes. The doc and nurse finished patching me up then left the three of us alone.  
“What happened?” Rhys asked. “I mean I know Gretchen attacked you, Jean Claude told me about that and what happened before with her, but what?”  
“I sure hope it was her you wanted me to help you with.” I said to Jean Claude, “because I’m not up to anymore hunting.”  
“It was she. I released her from her coffin, believing her to be punished enough…”  
“Wait a second, are you saying she’s been in there since, since that night at Guilty Pleasures?”  
“Oui.” He bowed his head slightly. “She bolted once free, injuring several of my people in her path. I knew she would search you out and hoped to be at The Laughing Corpse before you, however I was waylaid with the injured.”  
“I think she was attacking someone before I got there, the guy who was waiting in the club for the ambulance? I slid on some ice and twisted my ankle. I got up and made sure the guy was okay then once he went inside Gretchen showed up. She crushed my wrist and kicked my ankle. Maybe that’s when it broke. I shot her as she drew back to rip out my throat I think.” I raised my fingertips to my throat and found stitches there. “Why’d you let them stitch me up, it would have healed quick enough.”  
“Perhaps, perhaps not.” Jean Claude nodded. “Better to be safe than sorry.”  
“I want them out before I leave.”  
“Just rest for now, Anita.” Rhys said squeezing my left hand. “We’ll figure it out later.”  
“What happened to Merry?”  
“She went back to the hotel. She said to call her when we get home, regardless of time. The Pard were going to wait at home for us. But they’ll have to sleep somewhere else until that’s better.” He pointed to my leg. “You’ll need the space.”  
I blew out my cheeks and expelled the air. “So when can I leave?”  
“It’ll be a while before your plaster set, not too long though. The doc is going to get someone to bring you some crutches.”  
“Crutches?!” I said wide-eyed.  
“You will not be able to walk on it for several days at least, ma petite. Of course you could be healed in a week…”  
“How?” Rhys asked.  
“The fourth mark. Nice try, Jean Claude.” I said shaking my head.  
“Merely a suggestion.” He shrugged.  
“If it’ll make you better quicker…” Rhys said.  
“No.” I shook my head harder. “Not going to happen.”   
“Then you will suffer longer.” Jean Claude sighed dramatically.  
“Fine. I’ll suffer longer but I’ll still be human at the end. Well, human-ish.” I shrugged.  
I was released from the tender care of the hospital three hours later. Dolph had been by and let us know I wasn’t under arrest for murder as it was self-defence, the surveillance tapes from The Laughing Corpse showed that. I’d practised on the crutches but was finding it damn difficult with my right arm in a cast too. The wound had been so bad the cast ran from my fingers to just above my elbow. I was given real crutches, the kind you see Tiny Tim using in A Christmas Carol, the kind that tuck under your arm. I could catch my thumb on the edge of the right one and could almost manage, although I kept dropping it. I was thoroughly frustrated by the time Rhys wheeled me to the car. Jean Claude got the front seat, I got the back seat and to put my foot up. The hospital loaned us a wheelchair too but I had no intention of using it. The docs had however removed the stitches. That was one battle I won.  
Jean Claude carried me into the house, it was easier than pushing the chair through the snow, and settled me on the couch with my feet up. The Pard came bouncing in from the kitchen as soon as the door opened and crouched beside the sofa.  
“Can we sign it?” Nathaniel grinned.  
“Not for two days.” Rhys said coming in with the crutches.   
“Then you can all sign it to your hearts content.” I said.  
“Does it hurt?” Cherry asked plumping my cushions.  
“A little. The wrist mainly. She made a nice mess of it.”  
“Can I get you anything? What pain relief did they give you? Did you have a sedative?” She had gone all professional on me. Sometimes it was hard to remember Cherry was a trained nurse.  
“I can’t remember. Rhys took all the details in.”   
Cherry stood and went to him. “Tell me everything they told you.”  
“Okay.” Rhys raised an eyebrow.  
“Call Merry first Rhys, let her know I’m home.”  
“Alright.” He moved through to the kitchen with Cherry in tow.  
“Can I get you anything, ma petite?” Jean Claude asked from where he sat.  
“No I’m good. I really want to get to bed. I’m beat.”  
“I will take you.” He stood again.  
“Really, there’s no need, Jean Claude. I’ve got to learn to manage.”   
Zane and Nathaniel moved out of the way as I swung my legs over the side of the sofa. Nathaniel passed me my crutches and I managed to get to my feet. My ankle was throbbing dully but not as badly as my wrist. I got to the stairs with Jean Claude at my side, there if I needed him but not encumbering me. I looked up the stairs from the bottom. Had there always been this many? It sure seemed a long way. I sighed and laid the crutches on the stairs and using the banister hopped the first five steps.  
Jean Claude had stayed at the bottom with Nathaniel and he had an amused smile on his face.  
“You are quite sure you would not like a hand, ma petite?”  
“I’d like you guys not to watch.” I frowned down at him. I turned and sat down and shuffled up a couple of steps on my butt.  
“You will have the next few weeks to do that ridiculous shuffle up the stairs. While I am here, let me help.” He walked up the first few steps.  
I stopped and stared down at him. I really wanted his help but didn’t, if that made sense. I knew it would be easier if I would just let him help, I just didn’t know if I wanted to admit I needed it. I sighed. “Alright, but no lifting. You just help me up the rest.”  
“As you wish, ma petite.” I stood as he moved up the stairs beside me and he put an arm around my waist as I rested mine around his shoulders but the height difference was too great.  
“I can’t reach up there. Not comfortably.”  
“Then give me your hand.” I put my left hand in his, his right still at my waist. We managed but it wasn’t easy. If my right hand had been able I’d have taken his right hand too but it was throbbing too much. Instead I held it to my stomach to minimise the risk of knocking it. I sighed again as we reached the top step and Jean Claude stopped. “Do you wish to take your crutches now or shall I help you to your room?”  
“Room.” I nodded. I really hadn’t got the hang of the crutches.   
He sat me on the edge of the bed and crouched by my feet. “Your jeans are ruined.” He picked at the bottom of them where the doctors had cut it to over the knee. I guess I was lucky they hadn’t cut them off entirely.  
“What the hell am I going to wear?” I asked looking down at him as he unlaced my right shoe. I’d need a new lace for the left one; they’d cut that off too.  
“Wear, ma petite?”  
“To work, to keep warm. I mean sure I can wear a skirt for work, I have to, but I can’t wear hose.”  
“Stay ups, for your right leg. I’m afraid your left leg will have to go bare.” He took off the sneaker and sock.  
“I’m going to freeze.” I pouted. “And I can get myself undressed.”  
He went up onto his knees and put a hand either side of me on the bed, our faces close. “Ma petite, for the next few weeks you are going to be a very…unmoving lover. The most I can hope for is to undress you and caress you as I go.” He smiled at me slightly.  
“There’s nothing romantic about this Jean Claude, not even sexy. Anyway we’re getting away from the subject. I’m going to freeze. I can’t even get jeans on over this thing.” I lifted my leg slightly. “And how the hell am I supposed to shower?”  
“Cherry has the answer to that one.” Rhys said coming in the door. Jean Claude moved to the bed beside me and slipped my shirt off my shoulders.  
“Like what?” I narrowed my eyes. He was smiling in a way I didn’t like.  
“Like you put plastic bags over your casts and you take a bath, not a shower. Oh and people have the bath with you so you don’t need to use your hand to wash your hair.”  
“I hope you’re joking.” I frowned at him as Jean Claude started to untuck my t-shirt.  
“Nope.” Rhys grinned.  
“Perhaps you should bathe now, ma petite. Rhys and I can both help you.”  
I looked between the two of them. “I can’t wash my hair at night. Well I can but I’d have to do it again in the morning. And if it’s going to be that much hassle I’d rather only bathe once.”   
“I won’t be here in the morning, ma petite. Who else will you let help you bathe?” Jean Claude pulled the t-shirt over my head and ran his fingers across my naked back. “I’m sorry you’re not going to get to help me take a bath, Jean Claude, but I promise you can tomorrow night.” I cupped his face with my hand. “I have a raising tomorrow night and you know how much of a mess I get in.”  
He put his hand over mine and brought the palm to his lips. “So tomorrow night, the two of us will help you clean up.”  
“I promise.”  
“But that still doesn’t solve the problem of how we’re going to manage in the morning.” Rhys said coming to sit on the other side of me.  
“I don’t know.” I shook my head. “Cherry maybe. She knows about…”  
“Cherry just left. She was going to get you some proper bags that they use in hospitals with breaks. She’ll drop them by on her way home.”  
“Perhaps Nathaniel would be best.” Jean Claude said kissing my shoulder. “He will do as you ask.”  
I sighed. “Alright.” I glanced up to see Nathaniel in the doorway smiling. “I have to be in work by eleven tomorrow then I get a break from four until nine when I have my raising.”  
“Last one of the season.” Rhys smiled. “But I have to start work tomorrow at nine to finish up my paperwork. If you want me to help you we’ll need to be up early.”  
“Better get to sleep then.” I sighed.  
Rhys and I were tucked up in bed an hour later. Cherry had dropped off the baggies and Nathaniel was in the spare room giving me extra space. I managed to fall asleep, a pillow under my arm and foot, Rhys curled up beside me with his arm draped across my stomach.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bathtime!

The alarm went off at six. Too damn early. Nathaniel went to the downstairs bathroom and started running the water, although not too deep. Rhys helped me to the upstairs bathroom for a bit of private time. My foot had gone to sleep and my arm was tingling but the worst of the pain had subsided, left instead by a dull ache in each limb.  
I hopped to the top of the stairs where Rhys met me. I protested when he went to lift me and instead made my own way down the stairs on my butt. Geez I hadn’t done this since I was a kid, when the stairs are the nearest thing to a chute you have.  
It was easier with Rhys for me to put an arm around his shoulders and one around my waist. Our height difference wasn’t as great as that between Jean Claude and me.  
“I’m really not comfortable about this.” I said as I leant against the sink. Nathaniel was just turning off the taps and was already naked; he did casual nudity a lot easier than me. Hell everyone did casual nudity a lot easier than me.  
“Then you aren’t going to get your hair washed unless you pay a salon to do it.” Rhys frowned at me as he unfolded one of the plastic bags.  
“I didn’t say I wasn’t going through with it, just I wasn’t comfortable.” I frowned back.  
“Leg up.” He knelt in front of me and slid the bag over my leg then taped up the top. “Its not completely water tight but it’s a start. You’ll need to keep it out of the water fully.”  
“I know. And my arm.” I rolled my eyes as he secured the bag on my arm. “Okay, how are we going to do this?” I asked as Rhys slipped out of his briefs.  
“Well taking your underwear and t-shirt off would be a start.”  
“Well duh.” I slipped my underwear off, or tried to. It got caught on the baggie. Rhys helped take them off the rest of the way.  
“Nathaniel, get in the tub ready.” Rhys looked over and Nathaniel did as he said, stepping over the side of the tub into the bubbly water. I pulled my sleep shirt over my head and put it on top of the hamper. “Okay, hop to the tub.” Rhys put an arm around me and helped me to the edge. “This is going to be interesting.” He shook his head.  
“Yeah, no shit, Sherlock.”  
“Smart ass.” He slapped my butt. “Sit on the edge of the tub. It might be easier if you have your back against one edge and this leg out the side, then you can rest your arm along the rim.”  
“But then how am I going to get my hair wet?”  
“Oh crap. You’re just going to have to keep your arm lifted.”  
“What about if I go out today and buy an inflatable or something? Then Anita can rest her arm on that next time.” Nathaniel suggested. Rhys and I looked at one another then back at Nathaniel, his lilac eyes reflecting the water, his long auburn hair hanging around him like a curtain.  
“That’s a great idea.” I said finally. “Not sure how easy it’ll be to find an inflatable in December in one of the worse snows we’ve ever had but good luck.”  
“If not I can get a swimming float from a sports store.” He shrugged.  
“You can take my car. I’ll need you to run me to work anyway if that’s okay?”  
“You know it is.” He smiled.  
“Thanks, Nathaniel.”  
“Are you two quite done?” Rhys looked between us both. “Good. Anita, put your good leg in the tub. Nathaniel, help her down.”  
“I feel so stupid.” I shook my head as Nathaniel moved up to me. I ended up with my plastered arm around his neck and sitting on his lap, my plastered leg raised uncomfortably out of the bath.  
“Quit whining.” Rhys said as he slid into the tub with us. There was a jug sitting beside the tub, which Rhys filled with water. “Ready?” He moved round behind me. I was still supported by Nathaniel and it was easier than I thought it would be. Although I’d have been more comfortable if it’d been Rhys’ lap I was sitting on.  
“I can wet it.” I said glancing back at him. “But you’ll need to rinse and wash it for me.”  
“Okay.” Rhys nodded.  
I leant back in Nathaniel’s arms until only my face was out of the water then came back up. “Wet enough?”  
“Yep.” Rhys put the jug down and picked up the shampoo. I rested my head on my arm on Nathaniel’s shoulder and sighed as Rhys lathered the shampoo in my hair. As I breathed in I caught the scent of Nathaniel and the Pard. Whatever linked us sparked and I looked up at him. I could smell sunlight and leaves under Nathaniel’s own smell of musty vanilla. He smiled down at me and leant forward, his tongue darting out quickly to brush my bottom lip.  
“No mystical Pard shit while in the tub, guys.” Rhys said as he poured water on my hair.  
“Sorry.” I laughed slightly. Rhys had been more attuned to the workings of the Pard since October and while he wasn’t connected to them in the same way I was, he still felt something when it happened. I rested my head back on my arm.  
It took the better part of forty minutes to get each of us clean and rinsed properly. Rhys got out first and wrapped one towel round his waist, the other round his hair. He held out a large towel for me and suddenly on an unspoken cue, Nathaniel stood, lifting me with him. I let out a surprised yip and put my other arm around his neck to hold on. I knew he was strong, I mean he was a lycanthrope, it came with the fur, but he always seemed so fragile. Less so recently, but still. He rested my feet on the floor gently and I took the towel Rhys offered me and wrapped it around me then the second one for my hair.  
“Thanks, guys.” I smiled at them both. “You’d better go get ready for work.” I looked at Rhys.  
“I will. If Nathaniel will put some coffee on, I’ll get you upstairs so you can get dried off and dressed.”  
“Sure.” Nathaniel said and left us.  
“Sorry again, about the Pard thing.” I smiled slightly at Rhys.  
“It’s not a problem. I know you get a lot from each others touch but Nathaniel is so hot for you it’s a little unnerving.”  
“I don’t feel like that about him. You know that, Rhys.” I rested a hand on his arm.  
“I know.” He nodded.  
“But I understand. I guess I’d feel the same if we’d just shared a bath with Merry. Kind of.”  
“What do you mean?” he frowned at me.  
“You and Merry have more of a history than we do. If you’d just been sitting in her lap and she’d licked you, I’d have flipped.”  
“Really?” he seemed amused.  
“Yeah, really.” I started un-sticking the tape over my arm.   
“You’re jealous of Merry?”  
“No, I didn’t say that.” I shook my head. “But if someone as casual about sex as Nathaniel or Merry came on to either of us it would tick the other one off. It’s one of the side effects from being in love.”  
“Well I suppose at least you admit we’re in love. Even if you won’t get engaged.”  
“Not again, Rhys.” I rolled my eyes and started on the tape on my leg.  
“You said yourself you don’t know why not.”  
“And I said I’d think about it. Two days does not give enough thinking time for this kind of thing.” To be honest it hadn’t crossed my mind again. I’d had other things going through it.  
“Alright, I remember.” He helped me step out of the bag from my leg. “I’m just teasing.” He smiled up at me.  
“Good.” I smiled back. “I have enough to worry about at the moment. Like what am I going to do now that I’m down fifty percent of my weaponry.”  
“What do you mean?” he asked as he helped me walk to the stairs.  
“I mean I can only wear one wrist sheath and can’t wear my Browning. I don’t have a left handed holster.”  
“And you’re going to have to forgo your Firestar because you can’t wear pants.”  
“Dammit. I hadn’t thought of that.” We hobbled our way up the stairs. “I can’t go out without a gun.”  
“Could you get a new holster?”  
“Not in time. I need holsters cutting down to size. That takes time.”  
“What about if you and Nathaniel go to the store before work? Get some baggy pants?”  
“Go to the store two days before Christmas? Do you think I’m nuts?”  
He laughed. “You’re talking yourself out of options here. How about a compromise?”  
“Like what?” I frowned at him. We’d reached the top of the stairs and I was tired out already.  
“Like you go without your gun for one day and I ask Merry to go get you some baggy pants. You’re about the same size. I’m sure she knows what you like too.”  
“Alright.” I sighed. “I hope she doesn’t mind.”  
“Me too.” He grinned at me. “And tonight I’ll pick you up after your appointments, you can have a rest then I’ll take you to your raising. I’ll give you a hand so you don’t need to do too much, just go through the motions.”  
“Thanks, Rhys.” I smiled at him.  
“You’re welcome, sweetheart.” He kissed me softly.  
I dressed in one of my longer skirts, one that came just past my knee. It was black but it was the longest one I had and would afford me a little extra warmth. If Bert didn’t like it, he could kiss my ass. I did pair it with a scarlet shirt and matching jacket and chances were the client wouldn’t see my skirt anyway seeing as I couldn’t stand long anyhow. I put on one stay up and one court shoe. My toes were already cold and I wondered if there was any way to get a sock over the plaster but all my socks were too small so I dismissed the idea. I played with the Browning before I put on the jacket but couldn’t even grip it properly right handed so there was no way I could draw it. So I left the shoulder holster off for the first time in almost a year. I gooped my hair to its full curly glory and added some make up then left Rhys to dry his hair. I found it was easier to use one crutch on my left hand rather than try and grip anything with the right and got to the stairs without too much difficulty. I got part way down on the crutch and one leg but was so tired out decided to go down the rest on my butt. It was embarrassing and my skirt hitched up but I managed, and no one saw me which was a bonus.  
The kitchen smelled of caramel coffee and I took a deep breath as I entered the room. It smelled great. Nathaniel was upstairs getting dressed and was second in the line for use of the hairdryer. I made my way around the unit to the coffee maker and rested my crutch against the cabinet. I managed to pivot one legged to get my mug and a teaspoon then shakily poured some coffee. I might be able to fire a gun left-handed but that doesn’t make me ambidextrous. Still I managed to get it all in the mug, which I was proud of. I lifted the cup and turned round, resting it on the counter behind me. The sugar was over this side and I still had to make it to the refrigerator for the cream. I got on my crutch again and hobbled around to the fridge and got out the cream. I had it in my hand when I realised I had no way of getting back, the hand I was using to hold the cream was the same one I’d been using my crutch with. Dammit! Well I’d have my coffee black for a change…or not. I bent down and put the cream on the floor and started to slide it slowly with my cast. Okay, this was working. I got to the cabinet and picked the cream up again and poured some into my cup.  
“You know that’s ingenious.” Nathaniel said from the doorway. “But you could have just asked.” He’d braided his hair and was dressed. Guess he wasn’t going to need the drier after all.  
“I thought you were both going to be a while.” I shrugged adding sugar. “I needed caffeine.” I turned to face the table and chairs and wondered how the hell I was going to get from here to there, carrying a hot cup of coffee and with only one hand and one leg.  
“You go sit down. I’ll bring your coffee.” Nathaniel said walking towards me.  
“No I can figure it out. There has to be a way of doing this.” I just couldn’t figure out what it was.  
“There is.” Nathaniel took the cup from my hand. “You let me help.”  
“Thanks.” I smiled at him.  
“Go sit down.” I did and he came and sat beside me. “You’re taking this better than I thought you would.” He said as he watched me.  
“What do you mean?”  
“I thought you’d have had a fit about still being independent. You’ve mellowed since we first met.” I wanted to argue but I knew it was true. Whether it was the Pard or Rhys or a combination of the two, I was taking this remarkably calmly.  
“I know I can’t do this alone.” I looked down into my coffee. “As much as I hate to admit it I’m going to need help the next couple of weeks. If it’d been just the one break I probably wouldn’t have needed as much help but like this,” I held up my arm. “I’m virtually crippled. I can’t hold a gun, I can’t drive, I can’t walk unaided, I can’t write. Without help, I’m screwed.”  
“At least you admit you need the help. I don’t feel so bad offering it now.” He grinned at me. “You don’t take help easily.”  
“I know. So how are the plans for Christmas day coming?”   
We spoke for half an hour before Rhys came down and made himself some breakfast. We chatted about the forthcoming holiday and other nice normal mundane things. I called Merry and asked her my big favour. She promised to get me a couple of pairs of baggy pants if she could find them and she’d bring them over later. I told her when Rhys and I would be there between my appointments and raising and she agreed to come over then. Despite the hiccup of last night everything seemed back on track again.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anita is stubborn, Bert is a douche, Merry comes to the clothing rescue.

Nathaniel dropped me at the front door to my offices and made sure I was in the door safely before he drove away. I made my way through the lobby to the elevator and stood shivering as the numbers descended. It was snowing again and bitterly cold. I wiggled my toes to try and get some circulation going. Damn they were cold. I was still only using one crutch; I just couldn’t cope with two. I was also weaponless. Almost. My Firestar was in my purse and while it wasn’t ideal it was better than nothing. My wrist sheath on my left arm may as well have been empty too. I couldn’t draw the knife anyway but I felt better for having it there.  
I hoped for the end of the day soon as I rode up in the elevator. Not just because it marked the beginning of the holidays but also because I knew I would have to fend off questions from everyone at the office. Maybe I should just send a memo.  
I took in a deep breath and stepped off the elevator. I made a real hash of trying to get in the front door to the office. You have to pull it but as I had one good hand, one crutch and one door to open…well you do the math. I struggled enough to open it and caught in on my butt then limped the rest of the way in with my crutch. Mary, our secretary, and Larry, who was once my trainee, stood staring at me.  
“What the hell happened to you?” Larry asked walking towards me.  
“A bizarre accident involving a patch of ice and a jealous vampire.” I walked past him to the desk. “Which files are mine, Mary?”  
“These.” She indicated to two files on her left and held them out to me.  
I juggled them so they were pinned against my crutch by my left arm. I started to walk towards my office but the files slipped from my arm and scattered their contents over the floor. “Aw crap.” I muttered and crouched down as best I could.  
“I’ll do it, Anita, go sit down.” Larry said, crouching beside me.  
I looked up at him and we stared at each other for a moment. “Thanks.” I stood again with some difficulty and went through to my office. I was just sliding my Firestar into my draw as Larry came in with the files. He put them down on the desk in front of me and sat down.  
“Okay, spill it. What happened?” I sighed and told him. When I was done he shook his head. “You were lucky it wasn’t a lot worse.”  
“I realise that, Larry. Since when are you the one who lectures me?”  
“Since you fell in the snow and ended up in two casts.” He shook his head again. “Unbelievable. And right before Christmas too.”  
“Yeah. Guess who gets to be waited on the whole holiday?” I grinned at him.  
“You lucky…” he laughed suddenly. “It’s going to be hell at your house! You’re going to hate being waited on.”  
“I know.” I shrugged. “But I have to get used to it, at least for a couple of weeks until these casts come off.”  
“A couple of weeks? You’ll go stir crazy.”  
I shrugged again. “Possibly. But Merry and co are in St Louis for the holidays so I’ll have company.”  
“Oh by the way Tammy and I are going to try and stop by for an hour on Christmas day, possibly late morning.”  
“Great. We’ll be there.”  
“Well better get on.” He stood and moved to the door. “You want a coffee?”  
“Hell yes.” I smiled at him. He left me and bought me a cup a few minutes later.  
“If you want, Anita, I can try and rearrange my raising for tonight so I can do yours too.” He said.  
I put down the piece of paper I’d been looking at and glanced up at him. “Thanks Larry, I appreciate it, I really do, but I’ll manage. Rhys is going to take me. And I’ve benchmarked tonight as the last of the season, it’d throw my system out of whack if I don’t do one more.”  
“Alright. But the offer stands if you want it.”  
“I’ll remember.” He left me to it.  
I dealt with my clients quickly and efficiently. Mary showed them in so I didn’t have to meet them and both times they wished me a Merry Christmas and hoped I’d get well soon.  
As my last client left Bert came through the door. “I’ve been hearing rumours about my top animator being invalided.” He frowned at me.  
“Don’t believe everything you hear, Bert.” I said closing the file and pushing my chair backwards on its wheels.  
“I don’t know, the cast on your arm looks pretty real to me.” I bent down beside the desk and picked up my crutch then stood. “And that’s a crutch if ever I saw one. What happened?”  
“Nothing happened, Bert. I got attacked by a vamp.” I moved myself around the desk, my empty coffee cup hooked over the fingers of my right hand. Well at least I can carry an empty cup.  
“You know this retainer to the cops is getting too dangerous. You’re always getting hurt. Maybe I should cancel it.” He folded his arms over his chest.  
“This was RPIT related. It was a personal attack. So you can’t blame them.”  
“Still, Anita, you’re the best I’ve got. I don’t like losing you to so many sick days.”  
“I’m not doing it on purpose, Bert. If anything I should be asking you for danger money. I’ve been attacked because of raisings too. Look at the one that reporter brought us in March. His employers kidnapped me.”  
“That wasn’t proven.” He said but he didn’t look sure.  
“No but I was definitely tied up in a shed against my will which by my reckoning is kidnapping. And I got sliced up by a wereleopard in October because you hired me out to the Grey Detective Agency.”  
“Alright you’ve made your point. Look after yourself over the holiday. I want you back and raring to go on the fifth of January.”  
“Sure, Bert. Did you notice was Rhys in reception?”  
“No.” I moved to go past him to take my cup to the kitchen but he didn’t move. “Happy Holidays, Anita.” He held out an envelope.  
“Bert, I don’t have any hands free. Either take the coffee cup off me or stick it in my mouth. What is it?”  
“Your bonus, as promised.”  
“Oh.” I looked at him surprised. “Thanks.”  
“You’re welcome.” He smiled. “You’re an asset to the team.”  
“Now that sounds well rehearsed.” I moved sideways on to him. “Can you get the envelope in my pocket?”  
“Sure.” He pushed it in. “Don’t leave it there.”  
“As soon as I have a hand free I’ll put it in my purse, scouts honour.”  
“Well I’m off home now. Have a good break.”  
“Very funny.” I raised an eyebrow.  
“No pun intended.” He smiled at me. He moved out of the way and as he got to the reception area he turned round. “Rhys is here.”  
“Thanks, Bert.” I smiled after him. Maybe he wasn’t such an asshole after all.  
“Oh and I booked you an emergency raising tonight at midnight.”   
“You’d better be joking, Bert.”  
“Nope. Mary has the details. Goodnight.”  
Okay, he was an asshole. A great big, irritating, bastard of an asshole. I steamed as fast as my modified walk would let me to the kitchen area where I put my mug in the sink and stormed back to the office.  
“Rhys, you can come down to the office.” I sent to him as I started putting on my coat.  
“I heard what Bert said. You really have another raising at midnight?” Rhys came into the office and taking one look at the knot I was getting myself in with my coat started to help.  
“Yeah I have. Bastard. Gave me my bonus then dropped it into conversation like it’s not important.”  
“Couldn’t he at least have made it right after your other one? So you don’t have such a big gap?”  
“You’d have thought so.” I hopped to the desk and took out my Firestar and pushed it into my left pocket. “I’ll see if Mary can do anything. Get the client to agree to earlier.” I slung my purse over my shoulder and hopped back towards him.  
Mary was going to try and call the client to reschedule. She gave me all the details for the night and wished me happy holidays as we left. I managed a smile.  
It was getting dark by the time we got home. Jean Claude loved this time of year. The sun went down so early and came up so late. He got to spend extra time out and about. I needed to call him and let him know I wouldn’t be home until gone one. Jeez I was going to be tired tonight. Six o’clock start and a late night. At least I had the next fortnight to recoup.  
Merry pulled up the drive just after us and got out carrying several bags of shopping. I waved and went on to the house with Rhys close at hand in case I slipped.  
“Anita, you look like crap.” Galen said as he came around the other side of the van with Frost and Kitto.  
“Love you too, Galen.” I called back as I opened the front door. I went straight through to the living room and collapsed onto the sofa. Everyone else came in a few moments later.   
Merry sat beside me and frowned, shopping bags by her feet. “What are we going to do with you?”  
“Get me a new wrist and ankle for Christmas?” I smiled hopefully.  
She laughed slightly. “How are you feeling?”  
“A little sore and hacked off but okay.” I nodded.  
“I got you some pants. I hope they’re okay.” She looked in the bag. “They’re tailored but have quite wide legs.”  
“Fantastic. I’m going to go try some on; I need to get changed anyway. You’ll have to let me know how much I owe you.”  
“Sure. Want me to come up with you?”  
“Okay.” I nodded. We made it up the stairs with a minimum amount of fuss and into my room.  
“I got you all the same style but three pairs of black, and a navy blue. I figured you wore more black.”  
“Thanks, Merry. I was so cold today it was untrue.”  
“I bet, if that’s what you wore.”  
“It is.” I rolled my eyes.  
I tried on one of the black pairs of pants and they fit great…once I got them over the cast and struggled to pull them on one handed. Merry didn’t offer to help but she was happy to button them when I asked. She even helped me attach my Uncle Mike’s holster. I swapped my blouse for a polo shirt and felt vaguely normal again. At least I was armed.  
“I hope you don’t mind but I booked us a table for dinner tomorrow.” Merry said as I shuffled down the stairs.  
“Sounds great. I sure won’t want to be stuck at home all day tomorrow and all night.”  
“Did you manage to get all your shopping done?”  
“Yeah. Finished the night you flew in.” I took my crutch off her and went through to the kitchen. “You want a coffee?”  
“Already done.” Rhys said coming in from the lounge. “There’s a tray of cups and a carafe through there. Go sit down.”  
“Yes, boss.” I said with a slight smile.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anita makes a confession.

Mary didn’t manage to get hold of my midnight appointment so it didn’t get rescheduled. Both of the raisings were at actual tombs as the ground was too solid to have corpses try and crawl through it. Rhys stood by me holding onto my arm as I went through the motions. Both clients were quite happy for him to be there seeing as I was in plaster which meant Rhys could come into the tombs, keep an eye on me and do the actual raising, saving me from slicing myself up more than a paper cut. Actually that’s not true. I did the last raising myself, so my body knew that was it, the last one for two weeks.  
Jean Claude was waiting for us at my place when we got there. Nathaniel had managed to get an inflatable that wasn’t too big. It was like an inflatable cushion so it was ideal.  
As I lay in the warm water, the boys fussing over my hair, their hands gently brushing at my shoulders, I sighed. “Boy I wish I wasn’t in casts.” They both froze and I opened my eyes to find them looking at me, both with puzzled expressions on their faces. “What?” I looked between the two of them.  
“Be careful what you wish for, ma petite.” Jean Claude kissed me softly.  
“Oh come on. I’m in a bubble bath with the two men in my life. Who wouldn’t think that?”  
Jean Claude and Rhys shared a look. “Maybe we’ll discuss this again when you’ve not got the casts as a safety net.” Rhys said.  
“Alright.” I shrugged. I wasn’t sure I would know quite what to do if I ever got them both in a bubble bath again but right now, when I couldn’t do a damn thing about it, it was all I could think about.  
We stayed up until dawn talking about everything and anything and I let Rhys be the first to sign my leg cast, Jean Claude the first to sign my arm. He wrote a short message in French but wouldn’t tell me what it said. He said once I had the cast off he’d translate it for me.  
Jean Claude agreed to come out with us for our meal tomorrow night on the proviso I would have at least a sip of wine and fresh cream with dessert. I agreed. It would be nice to have a meal out with both my men.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nightmares.

I was running. I was whole and well but panicked. A long skirt flapped around my legs. It was dark and there were graves around me, some old, some new. I didn’t take time to look, I was too scared, had to run, mustn’t stop.  
I checked as I ran, I had no weapons of any kind. I could hear a heart beating over mine, just slightly louder, slightly slower. I ran harder. I could almost hear them breathing, could almost taste the heartbeat in my mouth.  
Something grabbed me suddenly and I was lifted off the ground by strong arms. White hair swirled around me but it wasn’t Rhys, what was holding me wasn’t even human, wasn’t even alive. I screamed, long and hard, as the arms seemed to still against me as though no life flowed through them.  
The hot breath on my ear, rustling my hair as I struggled but it was no use. Then a sharp sudden pain in my neck…  
…and I sat up, my hand flying to my throat. Rhys’ hand was on my shoulder and I was sweating heavily, my breathing erratic.  
“What’s wrong?”  
“Just a dream.” I said quietly and felt along my neck. It was whole and unscathed, apart from the scars that already lay there.  
Rhys wrapped an arm around my back. “Damn your heart feels like it’s trying to escape.” He said moving his hand to feel the pounding.  
“A bad dream.” I shook my head slightly.  
“It’s okay now.” He pulled me to him. “Lay back down. It’s still early.”  
I nodded and didn’t resist when he pulled me to lie beside him. It was only a dream, I was unharmed, but it was so real, so frightening. I was terrified whatever was in the dream would catch me. And it had. I lay awake for a long time before sleep folded over me again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, these were two short chapters, which means BONUS CHAPTER!
> 
> Picture is coming but I've hardly had time to breathe these last two days! I have found instructions so I shouldn't cock it up, but hey, it's me, never say never!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darks clouds, a meal out and an unexpected meeting.

We woke up late. It was gone three. Rhys and I managed to wet my hair in the shower without too much of a problem. I dressed in my nice new black pants and partnered them with a red blouse. Oh and one black Nike. I also found that Rhys owned some sweat socks big enough to fit over my bare toes. I would be vaguely warm at least.  
The smell of cooking meat reached us as we got down the stairs. Nathaniel was sitting at the kitchen table with a coffee in front of him and three open cookbooks.  
“Smells fantastic in here.” I said going over to him.  
“It’s the turkey and a honey glaze ham.” He looked up at me with a smile.  
“If it tastes as good as it smells it’ll be fantastic.” I stroked the top of his hair. He nuzzled his face against my stomach.  
“Thank you.” He said.  
“What for?”  
“For letting me be part of your Christmas. For being the best Nimir Ra the Pard could have asked for. For everything.” He glanced up at me.  
“Thanksgiving was last month, Nathaniel.” I smiled down at him. “But you’re welcome.”  
I slid into the chair beside him as Rhys came over with two coffees. “Any plans for today?” He asked Nathaniel.  
“Just finish prepping for tomorrow. I can’t do much more today. And I’m working tonight.”  
“Guilty Pleasures is open tonight?” I frowned slightly.  
“Yeah. It’s a Christmas extravaganza. Jason’s working too. And Stephen and Gregory.”  
“Well don’t stay out too late.”  
“Can I stop here tonight?”  
“Sure. We’re going out but you know you’re welcome.”  
“Thanks.”  
Nathaniel banished us from the kitchen once we’d had breakfast. He still had stuff to do before he had to leave for work at six. I said he could borrow my car as long as he was careful.  
I sat at the table with Rhys and watched the sun make the final stages of its slow descent over the backyard.   
“Can we go outside and watch full dark roll in?” I glanced at him.  
“Sure. You old romantic.” He smiled at me.  
The sky was as clear as I’d seen it in days apart from a dark bank of cloud to the north that seemed to be creeping in. It was clear as crystal, the air crisp and fresh.  
“That’s different.” I pointed to the cloud bank as it rolled across the sky.  
“Looks like more snow.” He said. He had his arms wrapped around me and his head rested against mine.  
“No, it’s too dark for snow.” I shook my head.  
He turned and glanced up at it. “It’s a cloud, Anita. Don’t worry about it.” He kissed the side of my head.  
I sighed against him and turned my attention back to the receding light in the east.  
Jean Claude got up and joined us once the sun had fully set, he’d spent the night in his coffin in the basement and was dressed to kill; not literally like Edward and I would have done but he looked sharp nonetheless. Nathaniel let him feed from him, saving Jean Claude a trip back to the circus to find Jason.  
Merry and the gang turned up at seven thirty. I didn’t dress up too much, just added some make up and a heeled boot to the clothes I already had on. Totally respectable again, for a girl in two casts.  
“So what have you guys been up to today?” I asked as Rhys helped me into the back of the minivan.  
“We went to the court to see my aunt.” Merry said from the front seat.  
“Bet that was nice for you.”  
“Great. I had to explain why I wouldn’t come to town for the Yule ball and yet I would make the effort to spend a ‘meaningless human holiday’ with you.”  
“Oh.” I laughed slightly. “You evidently got away with your head still intact though.”  
“Yeah, and a message for you from Cel.”  
“Pardon?” I blinked.  
“He said to pass you his fondest greetings.”  
“Thanks.” I said putting my fingers down my throat and making gagging noises.  
She laughed and pulled off. I was sitting between Rhys and Jean Claude. Kitto, Doyle and Nicca were in the middle seat, Frost up front with Merry and Galen.  
The roads were relatively quiet considering it was Christmas Eve. Everyone seemed to want to get home early and as a result most people were now at their destination. We parked in the parking lot of the restaurant and everyone hung back to wait for slowpoke me. Rhys stayed close by as the ground was quite slippery and while it made me feel more like an invalid I appreciated it.  
The table for nine was at the back of the room and I realised as we went in that none of the guards or Merry were using glamour. There were looks from the other diners at the faery princess and her guards out for a meal with the Master of the City and his human servant, no less, but we ignored them. At least it drew attention away from the fact I was the walking wounded.  
As Jean Claude wouldn’t be eating he sat at the head with Rhys and I on either side of him. Merry sat between Frost and Doyle on Rhys’ side of the table while Galen sat beside me with Kitto and Nicca on his left.  
Jean Claude and I looked at the menu together and he managed to talk me into getting some dish with chicken in a sauce I’d never heard of. He said; “Trust me, ma petite. It is a treat even your taste buds could not refuse.” Merry even let Jean Claude order the wine. Just because he couldn’t drink it didn’t mean he didn’t know it.  
“Okay, time to get this over with.” I said after the wine had been poured. “Rhys, pass me your glass.”  
“Wine, Anita?” Merry asked in surprised.  
“Its not for me, it’s for him.” I said waving at Jean Claude with my cast. “Ready?” I glanced at Jean Claude.   
“Oui.” He smiled at me.  
I sipped the wine. It wasn’t bad but I still wasn’t used to it and screwed my nose up, I kept it in my mouth rolling it round my tongue for a few moments. Jean Claude sighed beside me, his eyes closed, a small smile playing on his lips. When I swallowed his eyes fluttered open and he licked his lips as I did.  
“Merci, ma petite.”  
“You’re welcome.”  
“What just happened?” Frost asked with a frown.  
“Mystical vampire shit.” I said with a grin.  
Rhys shook his head with a sigh. “Because Anita is Jean Claude’s human servant he can taste food through her. Anita had a sip of wine so Jean Claude could taste it. That’s why they negotiated the menu together too.”  
“It has been over four hundred years since I could enjoy such simple delights as a good meal. Ma petite has made that possible again.”  
“Shame he likes his steak rare and I like mine crucified.” I added handing Rhys his wine back.  
“Alas it is true. I do not understand your desire to mutilate a perfectly good piece of steak in such a way.”  
“And I don’t understand your desire to taste a steak so bloody you may as well have just fed straight off the cow.”  
He laughed then. “It is hardly the same, ma petite.”  
“Close enough.” I shrugged.  
We all talked quietly without incident until the main course was brought out and I tried to cut the chicken. I’d tried to eat sandwiches or pasta during today so I didn’t need to cut anything up but now I was stuck. In the end Jean Claude made a frustrated noise and took the plate from me, only returning it when all the food was cut up.  
I watched him out of the corner of my eye as I ate. He was right, it was a nice dish and he seemed to be enjoying it as much as I was. I allowed him one more sip of wine after the main course.  
Finally coffee was served and Merry made a toast to holidays with good friends, which we all echoed whole-heartedly.  
Jean Claude helped me into my coat as we prepared to leave and hung back waiting for me. I waved him off and asked Merry to hang back instead although I knew he’d hear every word we said anyway.  
“So how are things with you? We haven’t had a proper talk since you got here.”  
“Things are pretty good.” She nodded. “Everyone’s happy; no one’s tried to kill me for over two months. Yep. Good covers it.”  
“Great. Glad to hear it. You’ve had a rough year.”  
“I’ve had a rough year?” She raised an eyebrow at me.  
“Yeah, you. My year’s been normal.” I grinned at her.   
“Boy you’re funny.” She shook her head. She stopped where the boys were waiting by the door for us. “Galen, will you bring the van round, save Anita walking?”  
“Sure.” She threw him the keys and all the boys moved off after we told them to get lost.  
“Rhys keeps asking me to get engaged to him.” I said once we were alone.  
“Really?” She seemed surprised.  
“Yeah. Really.”  
“And?” she prompted.  
“And it’s not an easy decision to make.” I went through the door she held open for me. “Jean Claude thinks its not a bad idea and I’ve made it quite clear to them both that I won’t marry Rhys unless I take the fourth mark and that’s not going to happen so what’s the point? I feel like if I agree I’m leading him on.”  
“But he knows that. Its not leading him on if you’re straight with him from day one.”  
“I know.” I leant against the wall. “I also don’t want either of them to think because I got engaged to Rhys I’ll consider the fourth mark because I won’t.”  
“I’m sure they won’t pressure you.” she looked at me sympathetically.   
“Jean Claude has mentioned it again this last week. Neither of them are going to quit mentioning it even if I do agree to get engaged to Rhys.”  
“So just say yes. The two of you will be engaged and they’ll hassle you just the same as if you weren’t. You’ve got nothing to lose.”  
“I wish it was that simple.” I sighed. “I’ve…” I stopped and glanced up the pavement towards a figure coming towards us. It felt threatening; it was like my body was calling in a déjà vu moment to give me warning. I moved away from the wall leaving my crutch against it as I reached for my Firestar.  
“Anita, what’s wrong?” she asked reaching for her own gun.  
“It can’t be.” I whispered.  
The figure stopped six feet from us; a heavy black cloak billowed around him, the hood hiding his features. He reached up and pushed back the hood and in that instant I realised what had unnerved me. Before I saw the red eyes, before I saw the white hair, I knew just who it was; Kaie.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anita realises she made a big mistake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonus Chapter!

“The Executioner. We meet again.” His expression and tone were less than friendly.  
I had my Firestar pointed at his chest, Merry’s beretta tomcat also levelled on him.  
“What do you want?” I asked.  
“I was not expecting to run into you so soon. Very well, fair warning, Executioner. I am out for your blood. Be it the final marks or your death, I will have my revenge.”   
“So maybe I should just end it now.” I said levelling the gun at his head.  
“Ah that you would, Executioner.” He smiled sadly. “But this must wait.” And he was gone. I wasn’t sure if he flew or ran or whatever but I had no idea where he’d gone.  
“Shit.” Merry said as the van pulled out of the car park. Frost had the door open and was outside with Jean Claude, Rhys and Doyle before Galen stopped at the sight of the two of us with our guns drawn. “I thought he was dead.”  
“No.” I shook my head as I reholstered my Firestar. “I didn’t make sure.”  
Rhys and Jean Claude both put an arm round me as Doyle and Frost looked around for the threat. “What happened?” Rhys asked.  
“You know that dream I had last night?” He nodded. “I know who sent me it.”  
They didn’t ask any more questions until we were all safely in the minivan and on the road.  
“Ma petite, something is different.” Jean Claude frowned at me. “You have the feel of the presence of another.” He cupped my cheek with his hand.  
“Its because I do. I had a dream last night where I was running from someone and they bit me.” Merry was sitting in the middle seat looking at me, she hadn’t spoilt the surprise. “I should have known then it was different. It felt like it does when you send me a dream. Only bad.”  
“I don’t understand.” Rhys said as Jean Claude sighed and pulled me to him.  
“I didn’t make sure he was dead. I should have gone back and made sure.” I murmured into Jean Claude’s chest.  
“I feel like I’ve missed part of the conversation.” Frost said from beside Merry. “Whom are we referring to?”  
“Kaie.” Jean Claude said quietly.  
“Kaie? The vampire from March?” Rhys said. “I thought Anita killed him.”  
“No.” I pulled back from Jean Claude. “I should have made sure but at the time I just wanted away. I didn’t want to get caught mid-escape. I just drove the machete through this back into his heart disabling him.”  
“And the weapon was not silver.” Jean Claude added.  
“And it was too rusty to think about taking off his head and his heart out too.”  
“But you drove it through his heart. You said that yourself.” Merry said.  
“He was a master, is a master. All it would take would be for someone to take the machete out and give him time to recover.” I shook my head. “Stupid Anita, real stupid.”  
“What did he say?” Rhys asked.  
I glanced at Merry. “That he is either going to kill Anita or force the last marks on her.” She said.  
“And me unable to hold a gun. Convenient.”  
“I would be concerned with who removed the machete in the first place also.” Nicca said from the front seat. “There were very few people who knew the vampire would be there or would wish to help him.”  
“I can think of two people.” Merry said. “Cel and Conri.”  
“Oh good. We’re back to hating your cousin again.” I quirked an eyebrow and put my hands over my eyes with a frustrated growl. Or at least one hand and a cast. “I can’t believe I was so stupid to leave him alive.”  
“True it is unlike you, ma petite. What is it your friend Edward always says? ‘Never leave an enemy at your back?’”  
“Yeah. This is one of those frightening times Edward’s right.”  
“So now you need guards too. At least until you’re up to looking after yourself or Kaie is stopped.” Merry said.  
“I agree.” Rhys nodded. “I can be with Anita twenty-four-seven at the moment because it’s the holidays but if he’s determined I might not be enough.”  
“You have my protection at night, ma amore.” Jean Claude kissed my hand.  
“And we’ll stay at your place, keep you safe.” Merry said.  
I looked at them all wide eyed. “Don’t do me any favours, guys. I don’t want protection, I want him dead.”  
“I will have our people hunt for him; you will be safe at home as you have not invited him in.”  
“Housebound too. Great! Why not just break my other leg and take away my independence completely?” I snapped.  
“Anita, honey…”  
“Don’t ‘Anita, honey’ me, Rhys. What do you think he’s going to do? Come knock at the front door? Hang around the house on the off chance I take the garbage out?”  
“Maybe we should speak with Prince Cel and see if there is anything he knows?” Doyle added. It was the first time he’d spoken since we got in the van.  
“Bon.” Jean Claude nodded. “I will call Asher and set things in motion, see if any of our people have heard where he may be staying. Once found he will be killed, ma petite. I promise you that.”  
“Make sure someone does it properly this time.” I was as mad at myself as I was at everything else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, that bastard Kaie who helped Cel way back in By Ostara Moonlight is back! Anita is kicking herself over that rookie mistake!


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nathaniel is a cute little cure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, if anyone was sitting and waiting for me to post this morning I am soooooooo sorry it's so late. Basically nightmare morning, both daughters to the docs, youngest with a sprained wrist and arm (fall at school plus she has lax joint issues so have to be careful) and the other with a potential broken arm after falling while skating days ago. Long story short, running round town like a chicken with its head chopped off, but now a small lull before I have to take the eldest for x-rays. Phew!

I’d shut myself in the downstairs bathroom and was sulking. So it was childish and didn’t accomplish anything but if I went back out there I’d lose my temper with everyone. I just needed five minutes of peace and with a house full I wasn’t going to get it unless hid.  
To top everything off I had an oppressive headache. It felt like something was closing in on me. Well I had a lot on my mind I guess. Or at least now I did. This morning the worst thing I had to worry about was how I was going to cope with a duff leg and arm over the holidays. Now I had a vengeful vamp after me.  
I took a few deep breaths and left the bathroom again, going into the lounge. Rhys got out of the chair he was sitting on as I came in.  
“Come sit down.” He moved a cushion onto the coffee table for my foot and got me comfy then handed me a can of coke.  
“Thanks.” I rubbed my forehead slightly.  
“You have a headache too?” Merry asked and I looked up at her.  
“Yeah. A real heavy one.”  
“I thought it was just me.” Galen said. Everyone was looking round.  
“Please do not tell me we all have a headaches and no one mentioned it.” Jean Claude said.  
“Even you?” I looked at him.  
“I thought there was some magic in the air that no one else was feeling.” He shrugged. “I do not suffer from headaches unless it is magical.”  
“Well that’s weird.”  
The phone started to ring and Rhys picked it up.   
“Blake. Oh hi, yeah she is. Hold on.” He held it out to me. “It’s Dolph.”  
I rolled my eyes. “Thanks.” I took the handset. “Hi, Dolph.”  
“I need you to come down to the station.”  
“Oh. Am I in trouble for the other night?”  
“No. It’s all new trouble.”  
“Great. I’ll be there shortly.” He hung up. “So who’s coming with me to the station?”  
I ended up with Rhys, Galen and Jean Claude accompanying me. No one argued with me about going out which I was pleased about. I think they realised I was going to go anyway, which I was.  
All the penguins on the desks had Christmas hats on as I went with my escort to Dolph’s office. The officers who were at there desks glanced at us and some even wished me happy holidays. We went into Dolph’s office where he was sitting with Detective Tammy Reynolds with her head in her hands. Tammy was Larry’s girlfriend.  
“Oh good, someone else with a headache.” I announced as we entered. Tammy is a witch and as such the magic was probably a major pain for her.   
Dolph looked up. “What’s with the escort?”  
“Had a minor problem earlier.” I shook my head. “So what’s going on?”  
Dolph looked from me to each of the boys then back again. “Police business, Anita.”  
“Go wait down the hall, guys.” I glanced back at them. “Please. I’ll be fine.”  
“Come on, Galen.” Rhys said and the three of them walked back out of the office.  
Tammy glanced up at me with tear-streaked face.  
“Damn you must be getting this worse than me.” I said moving to the empty seat and sitting down in it.  
“Its so…”  
“Oppressive?”  
“That’s it.” She said glancing back to Dolph as though she’d been searching for the right word. “It’s oppressive.”  
“So you can feel it too.” Dolph said looking at me.  
“Yeah. Everyone at my place can feel it. What is it?”  
“As near as I can tell it’s a very powerful spell and it runs citywide.” Tammy stated.  
“Really?” I felt my jaw fall open.  
“Really. The members of my church are trying to find what it is.”  
I nodded. “Best guess?”  
“Something’s wrong with the sky.”  
“Sorry?” I blinked a couple of times.  
“There’s something wrong with the sky. We don’t know what but it’s not right.” She shook her head as though trying to clear it and sobbed.  
“What do you want me to do? This is obviously a case for witches, not a necromancer.”  
“I’m bringing everyone in on this, Anita. Whatever it is it’s big.” Dolph said.  
“So what’s the plan?” I sighed slightly.   
“We find the source of this magic and stop it.”  
“That’s it?” I asked.  
“That’s it.” He nodded.  
“Okay, I’ll see what I can do.” I stood again.  
“Call me if you get anything.”  
“Sure thing, Dolph.” I nodded and left again. Rhys was on his feet and beside me in moments.  
“What’s going on?”  
“In the car.”  
Once we were in the car I told them. “So there was something about the sky earlier.” Rhys nodded.  
“Told you.” I said with a half smile.  
“You just thought it looked weird. You had no idea it was something magical.”  
“But perhaps it was ma petite’s senses way of telling her something was not right.” Jean Claude added.   
“So how are we going to figure out where this magic has come from?” I asked as Rhys drove my jeep through the gently falling snow.  
“No idea.” Rhys said. Jean Claude shrugged.  
“Perhaps another spell?” Galen said. “Get someone to cast a spell of detection of some kind.”  
“Do you think someone at the mounds could help?” I glanced between Rhys and Galen.  
“I’ll get on it when we get back.” Galen nodded. “Chances are Her Majesty already has someone looking into it though, if our headaches are anything to go by.”  
“Great. We can pool our limited resources.” I sighed.  
“Defeated, ma petite?” Jean Claude shook his head. “Unlike you.”  
“Not defeated Jean Claude, just realistic. This is out of my realm of expertise.”   
We went back to my place to tell everyone what was going on. Galen and Doyle went to my room to contact the queen. While we were waiting for them to come back, Nathaniel came home.  
“Merry Christmas, everyone.” He smiled as he hung up his coat.  
“What?” I glanced up at him.  
“It’s gone midnight.” He looked at his watch. “It’s Christmas.”  
“Oh.” There were wishes of Merry Christmas and happy holidays from around the room. Nathaniel came and sat at my feet.  
“So what’s going on? I thought you’d all be tucked up in bed by now. You know Santa doesn’t come if you’re awake.” He grinned at us and I afforded him a small smile. His face slid to a frown. “Something’s wrong.”  
“Have you had a headache tonight?” I asked him.  
“A bit but it’s almost gone now, why?” I explained it to him. “So you have to work Christmas Day?”  
“Looks like it.” I stroked his hair. “I’m sorry, Nathaniel. Christmas will have to wait until its all taken care of.”  
“Oh it’s okay. I get more time to work on the food.” He shrugged. “Unless you want my help?”  
“Even I’m no help on this case.” I smiled.  
Doyle and Galen came back a moment later and they did not look pleased.  
“Andais wishes to see you.” Doyle said looking at me.  
“What? Why?” Now I was worried.  
“She wishes to share information I believe. We are all asked to attend if we intend on helping with this matter.” There was something in the way he said the last part that I didn’t understand but Merry seemed to.  
“You mean she’s expecting us to help.” She said.  
“Indeed it would appear that way.” Doyle nodded.  
“So let’s go.” She sighed.  
Nathaniel stood and offered me a hand to help me stand, which I reached up to take. As we touched the connection of the Pard flared and it was as though a breeze started where our hands were. I stood slowly still holding his hand as the magical breeze ruffled our hair. And the headache was gone. I looked around at everyone else to find them staring. Not surprised, I was a little wide-eyed myself.  
“Ma petite, what did you just do?” Jean Claude stepped towards us.  
“Found a cure for my headache.” I said staring up at Nathaniel.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anita gets some good news.

We took two cars to the mounds. That is we took the minivan and my jeep. Nathaniel and I sat together in the back seat of the jeep Rhys driving and Galen in the front. We’d dropped Jean Claude off at the circus on the way, as chances were dawn would come while we were at the mounds.  
We pulled up beside Merry’s minivan and started up the path. I sighed heavily. It was a long walk to the mounds. As though on cue two headlights appeared in the darkness. They weren’t the usual white or yellow of headlights, they seemed to be dark light, if that made any sense. It was as though a darkness had been created to cut through the normal darkness of night. I couldn’t explain it any better. It was dark but it cut through the night.  
“It can’t be.” Merry murmured beside me.  
“What?” I glanced at her.  
“The Black Coach.” Doyle said. “It would appear someone informed the queen that Anita could not walk far.”  
I looked from him to Galen and they both shook their heads. “Wasn’t us.” Galen said.  
“Perhaps its just coincidence. The coach has met me the last few times I’ve returned to court.” Merry said.  
“Perhaps.” Doyle said simply.  
The Black Coach was a limo but had no driver I could see. It was large, spacious and luxurious, holding us all comfortably.  
“Please tell me this is really a normal car.” I said from my seat between Rhys and Nathaniel.  
“If I could I would, but I can’t.” Merry said.  
“So it’s a fey creation?”  
Rhys laughed then and it was echoed by the rest of the guards.  
“No.” Merry replied. “No one knows where the Coach came from but it’s been part of the court for centuries, albeit until twenty years ago in the form of a coach and horses. No one knows where it goes when not in use, no one knows what its agenda is, but it’s a comfortable ride and has given me no cause for complaint.” She patted the leather seat beside her as though petting an animal and the engine revved.  
“Did it just purr?” I frowned at her.  
“Sort of.” She chuckled.  
“Damn.” I said sinking back in the seat.  
The Coach took us right to the latest position of the entrance to the mounds. I was relieved; I didn’t think I’d inspire much confidence in the queen if I turned up out of breath. Although I was physically in peak condition I wasn’t use to hopping round like a lame rabbit.  
Doyle took point and Frost brought up the rear. Nicca and Galen took up positions either side of Merry; Rhys and Nathaniel either side of me and Kitto in between the two groups. Progress was slow with everyone compensating for my modified walk. Finally we reached our destination, wherever that was, and went in through the large double doors. Inside stood a long table. Various fey of different kinds sat at the table. Whatever they’d been discussing loudly moments before stopped abruptly and they looked at us as we entered. Andais, Queen of Air and Darkness, was standing just the other side of the table and walked towards us in a black dress so tight it could have been body paint.  
“Good, you’re here. Well come along we want your input.” She indicated to two empty seats at the table. I glanced at Merry who nodded slightly and we stepped through the guards.  
“Come on, Nathaniel.” I whispered knowing he’d hear. He trailed behind me taking in the sights. He hadn’t been able to touch me since we got out of the Coach and my head was pounding something terrible. He didn’t seem as badly affected as the rest of us. It was probably mystical lycanthrope shit I didn’t understand.  
“And this is?” Andais said staring at me.  
“Meet the world’s cutest pain killer. This is Nathaniel. He’s with me.”  
She raised an eyebrow. “I have no idea what that comment meant Ms Blake but it has certainly amused your friends.” I shrugged and moved forward a little more. “What in the name of the goddess have you been doing?” she looked from my foot to my arm and back to my face.  
“Long story.” I shook my head.  
“Why do you have bits of...white attached to your arm and leg?”  
“They’re plaster casts, aunt. Anita has broken bones in both her arm and leg.”  
“And they do what exactly?” she looked completely puzzled.  
“They stop her sustaining more damage and aid the straight and natural mending of the bone.”  
“How barbaric.”  
“Some of us don’t have much choice in the matter.” I said. “Can we get on?”  
“Perhaps you should take her to see Fflur.” Andais said turning back to Merry and ignoring me.  
“If you would permit it.” Merry smiled slightly. “I’m sure Anita would appreciate it.”  
“I’m sure I would if I had a clue as to what the hell you were talking about.” They both turned to look at me.  
“Fflur is the court healer.” Merry said.  
“And you think she could heal these, just like that?” I stared at them amazed.  
“Probably.”  
“So lets get down to business then I can get these damn things off.”  
Merry and I sat at our seats with a contingent of guards at our back. Space was made for Nathaniel and he sat beside me with a hand on my arm, keeping the headache at bay.  
So far no one had any idea what had caused whatever was in the air but when I said that a contact of mine believed it to be a citywide spell involving the sky they all nodded in agreement. Well at least that was something.  
“Is there anyway you can do some magic and locate the source of the spell?” I asked.  
“It’s possible.” Said one fey, a man with hair as blue as Jean Claude’s eyes. “We should look into that.” There were murmurs of agreement and that was about it.  
“Well aren’t you going to look into it?” I asked.  
“We will once we have some more information to look into.”  
“I’d say it was more important we find the source quickly and stop it.” Merry said. “I recommend you get on that immediately.”  
The assembled fey looked between themselves then to where Andais sat at the head of the table. “The princess has spoken. Get on with it.” she snapped. They all started talking loudly suddenly doing as the queen had commanded. “Now Anita, if you will allow it I will have Eamon escort you to Fflur.”  
“Sure.” I shrugged.   
**“Eamon is Andais’ consort. Be careful what you say.”** Rhys sent to me as I gave him a quick kiss. I gave him a slight nod and Nathaniel and I followed the tall man with velvet soft black hair I had been introduced to as Eamon.  
“This will be your third time at the mounds I believe.” Eamon said as we walked.  
“Third?” I said. It had been three times but the first time had been unofficial, when I was here cleaning up the mess Cel made.  
“I am aware of the events in March, Ms Blake.” He smiled slightly. This was a man who kept his ear to the ground. Fey sorry.  
“Oh good.” I nodded. I didn’t know what else to say.  
“Is Nathaniel your pet?” he asked.  
“No!”  
“I apologise if my assumption offends you however he is very submissive, treating you like a dominant.”  
I looked at Nathaniel who just smiled at me. The headache was back again without his touch but I was getting used to it. “I’m above him in the pack structure.” I said simply. “I am his dominant but not in the way you’re thinking. I’m dominant to him but not at him, does that make sense?”  
“It does.” He nodded. “An interesting way of putting it.” We walked down endless identical corridors and without Eamon I was sure we’d have got lost.  
He showed me into a room with a curtained area. Shelf upon shelf of herbs and vials filled the walls. This was an herbalists if ever I saw one. “Fflur?” he called.  
“Coming.” Came a soft voice from behind the curtain. A beautiful fey woman came out from behind the curtain wearing a simple yellow dress the same startling shade as her long hair. Eyes as black as the night smiled at me as she came towards us. “You must be Anita Blake. I’m Fflur. Please follow me.”  
“I will leave you now.” Eamon said. “Fflur would you please get someone to escort Anita back to the council room once you are done.”  
“Of course.” She said not looking at him. “Now come along.” I limped beside her to behind the curtain where a pile of pillows lay. Not quite the examining table I was expecting but still, whatever works I guess. “Please lay down, Ms Blake.”  
“You can call me Anita.”  
“Oh, alright.” She nodded. I sat on the cushions and Nathaniel sat beside me, his fingers playing absently on my left arm. She crouched beside me and glanced at the leg for a few moments then finally knocked on the plaster.  
“Primitive but good.” She nodded and I glanced at Nathaniel. He raised an eyebrow at me and we both suppressed a smile. “Now I need you to lay down fully. Your friend will have to wait outside the curtain.”  
“Off you go, Nathaniel.” I said and he left us. I lay down as she asked and watched her moving her hands over the cast on my leg, eyes closed, brow knitted in concentration. Finally she opened her eyes and looked at me. “It’s a nice clean break. I should have no trouble repairing it.” she smiled. “Now let’s see your arm.” She did pretty much the same thing but it took longer, the concentration on her face showing some difficulty. Eventually she sighed and looked at me. “Either the damage is greater in this arm or there is something stopping my magic from examining it properly.”  
“The bone was shattered. They put pins in to help with the healing.”  
“Steel pins.” She nodded. “That’s why I can’t sense it properly. Well I believe I can heal your leg, Anita, but your arm will have to heal itself I’m afraid.”  
“You can heal the leg?” I stared at her. “You’re kidding?”  
“No, I’m not. I’ll get my things together and we’ll have you walking out of here in ooh, an hour?”  
I felt my jaw fall open. “An hour?”  
“Yes, I’m sorry it’s so long.” She got up and moved out of the curtain and Nathaniel came back in.  
“Did she just say your leg will be better in an hour?”  
“She did.” I nodded.  
“Hell that’s better than I could do, unless I shifted.” He shook his head. “Wow.”  
“So I’ll be able to run but not hold a gun. Well I’m fifty percent of the way there.”  
Fflur came back in and banished Nathaniel again then handed me a small clay cup.  
“Here, drink this.”  
“What is it?” I said taking it from her hands. It smelled of chamomile.  
“It’s just a tincture that will help you sleep while I work. It will be easier if you aren’t awake for it.”  
“How long will it put me out for?” I frowned. I’d had enough drug induced sleeps this week already.  
“Only until I bring you round then you’ll be as awake as you are now.” She smiled.  
“Alright.” I nodded and drank the sweet liquid. I lay back in the pillows once she took the cup from me again.  
“Now count backwards from ten.” She said. Her black eyes were the last thing I saw as I reached number eight and everything faded.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cel is a fucking shit. Think that's the entire chapter really.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As before the ** either side of speech represents mind to mind contact. It looks so pretty in my document where I have used separate fonts for each person *sigh*.

I woke up snuggled against someone warm and comfortable. I was lying on my side with my face pressed into someone’s chest. Someone’s naked chest. My eyes flew open and I glanced up to see Nathaniel smiling down at me. He had his arms locked around me holding me against him.  
“How do you feel?”  
“Okay.” I said. “I thought I was supposed to wake up once Fflur was done?”  
“You were but you stayed asleep. Fflur thought something had gone wrong but then I pointed out you’d been up since three and she agreed to let you sleep for another hour.”  
“And you decided to join in?” I raised an eyebrow at him.  
“No. I explained the working of the Pard to her and she thought you might gain more comfort if I was here.”  
I nodded and rolled onto my back and sat up with a yawn. I was still in the curtained area of Fflur’s ‘med centre’ for want of a better word. I looked down to find my leg free of plaster and feeling fine. I wiggled my toes and when I got no pain I rolled my ankle. No pain again.  
“All better.” I glanced at him.  
“Yep.” He nodded with a grin.  
The curtain opened and Fflur came through them. “How are you feeling?” she smiled.  
“Pretty good. Can I stand on it?”  
“Certainly.” She said offering me a hand up. I took it, only because I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from my leg but it held. In fact it felt fine. Although the floor was cold on my foot.  
“Wow.” I said walking round a little. “Thanks.”  
“You’re welcome. I hope you don’t mind I took the liberty of getting you a pair of shoes. You can’t walk round with just one on.” She held out a small pair of what almost looked like ballet slippers.  
“Erm, thanks.” I said taking them. She was right, I couldn’t walk round with just one shoe on but these were…well they just weren’t me. Still beggars can’t be choosers I guess and at least they were flat. I sat back down and took off my one boot and sock and put on the slippers. They were a perfect fit and comfy to boot, no pun intended. “Can you get someone to take me back to the meeting?” I asked. “If I’m okay to leave.”  
“You’re doing fine, Anita. And actually your escort back is already here and waiting.”  
“Great.” I followed her back through the curtain and the smile I’d been wearing fell from my face. Standing in the outer chamber waiting for me was Cel and one of his guards, Conri. “Of course maybe I can find my own way back.”  
“My mother would not be pleased if you got lost, Anita.” Cel smiled.  
I’d tensed up and Nathaniel sensed this, sliding his right hand into my left. It was my only free hand right now and normally I’d have complained about him taking up my gun hand but Doyle had made me leave the Firestar in the car anyway. The tension eased a little but didn’t slide away, not with the only two fey who could have saved Kaie standing in front of me.  
“Fine, let’s go.” I said starting forward. “Thanks, Fflur.”  
“You’re quite welcome.” She called after me.  
Cel fell into step beside me with Conri on his other side and I tightened my grip on Nathaniel’s hand. “How long has it been, Anita?” Cel asked not looking at me.  
“How long what?” I asked.  
“Since we last saw each other. It was the Samhain ball I believe.”  
“I guess.” I shrugged.  
“I’ve missed our interactions.” I stayed quiet. I hadn’t. “Perhaps you will linger longer at the mounds this time allowing me the chance to get to know you better.”  
“I don’t think so.” I shook my head.  
Conri dropped back a step then as though on some unspoken cue. I gave Nathaniel’s hand a gentle squeeze hoping he would know to watch out. I’d barely got past the thought when Cel grabbed the top of my right arm and pulled me suddenly through an open door. My hand slipped from Nathaniel’s and as he stepped forward Conri drew his sword and pointed it at him.  
“Now neither of you try anything or the pretty one here shall die.” Conri said pressing the sword to Nathaniel’s throat.  
Cel pushed me roughly against the wall and pinned me to it with his body. “I said I’d have you, Anita.” He said, his breath brushing my cheek. I put my hand and cast against his chest and pushed but not only was he bigger than me, he could have bench pressed a car. He outweighed me and was stronger. I couldn’t win this one by fighting.  
“I’ll do whatever you want, just don’t hurt him.” I glanced at Nathaniel. I really wasn’t worried about him harming Nathaniel, I was sure he’d heal just fine, but if Cel was going to try what I thought he was going to try I’d like him to get caught, which meant letting him go with what he was trying, for now.  
“Anita, no!” Nathaniel went to move forward but Conri’s sword prevented him doing so.  
**“Rhys, I’m in trouble. I think Cel’s going to attack me. Really could do with some help.”**  
**“Where are you?”**  
**“No idea. Bring Andais if you can.”**  
**“I’ll find you. Hold on.”** He broke contact with me and I hoped he’d find us in time.  
“Whatever I want, Anita?” Cel whispered, his lips mere centimetres from mine. “But I like it when you fight.” His lips found mine in a rough, bruising kiss, his tongue plunging into my mouth. So he likes it when I fight does he? I bit his tongue hard and he pulled away from me quickly. He put a finger just inside his mouth and came back with blood. A smile crept over his face as Conri pulled Nathaniel into the room and closed the door. He wiped the blood on my cheek and then kissed me again, this time no tongue. He’d learnt the hard way. I glanced around the room quickly taking in the bed and furnishings. It looked like a guest room of some sort, all the furniture was here but it lacked the lived in quality.  
His right hand moved up me to cup my breast, kneading it and I knocked his hand away with my own. He stopped kissing me abruptly and looked at me. “I thought you said whatever I want to keep this one safe.” He glanced at Nathaniel.  
“I thought you said to fight you.” I kicked him in the shin, which really didn’t have much effect in these shoes.  
“Fight harder.” He sneered and, wrapping one arm around my waist, the other under my buttocks, he lifted me off the ground and threw me onto the bed. I scrambled backwards but he caught my ankles and pulled me back towards him.  
“Anita!” Nathaniel called out.  
“Don’t do anything stupid, Nathaniel.” I said not looking at him. My eyes were still on Cel. He still had hold of my left ankle and with his free hand he was undoing his pants. “What’s wrong, Cel? You think if you let me go you won’t be able to catch me again?”  
He laughed then and crawled over me. “Hardly. I’ve just waited too long to prolong this anymore than necessary.”   
I pulled back my left hand to hit him but he caught the wrist. He drew the knife from its sheath and held it up before him. “A specially crafted blade.” He raised an eyebrow. “A fine piece of work. Let’s see how sharp it is.” He took it to the bottom of my blouse and sliced it through the material in a straight line beside the buttons. “Very.” He said and cast it aside. He let my wrist go and I tried to hit him again but he stopped it. “I am bored with your fighting, Anita.” He said in a dull tone.  
“I’m not bored.” I replied.   
**“Anita, you have to give me some kind of signal here!”** Rhys sounded panicked.  
“Fine. Each time she fights me cut something off the boy.”  
“Yes, my Prince.” Conri replied.  
Dammit. I couldn’t do anything now without risking Nathaniel, although he’d heal just fine. And in that instant my mind formulated a plan. I lowered my hand to the bed beside me and closed my eyes. Cel took that as I wasn’t going to fight back but I wasn’t going to need to.  
I called my necromancy reaching out, trying to find any dead in the vicinity. Rhys would feel it and know it was me. I felt through the stone floor making a mental note of where dead were buried, where bodies both whole and broken lay, taking stock, anything to keep my necromancy active long enough for Rhys to trace me.  
I felt Cel’s hands slide over my stomach and slide the shirt aside revealing my bra. He ran a hand over each breast then moved them to my waist and unbuttoned my pants. As he tugged them with my underwear over my hips I almost lost my concentration, then I felt Rhys not far, so close. Cel’s hands moved from my clothing for a moment then lay against me. I could feel him pressed against my abdomen and I wanted nothing more right then than to hurt him. But no, hold on, just another moment…  
As I felt Rhys’ presence the other side of the door I did several things at once. I put all the concentration I’d been using to contact my necromancy into my link with the Pard and threw it into Nathaniel, causing him to start to shift. I flung open my eyes and swung my plastered arm as hard as I could at the side of Cel’s head. He turned slightly at the sound of the door opening and I hit him in the face with the cast, his nose blossoming with a spray of blood.  
“Cel!” I heard Andais yell from the doorway and he rolled off me as the black leopard that was Nathaniel jumped onto the bed beside me and moved to straddle me in a low crouch, ready to pounce but also hiding my naked lower body from all and sundry. He was growling. Bless him.  
Rhys appeared in front of me and sheathed the sword he had in his hand as unseen hands dragged Cel off the bed. He stood between me and the rest of the room as I stood and he helped me pull up my pants, Nathaniel standing on the bed, still growling low in his throat.  
“Are you alright?” Rhys asked pulling me against him in a tight hug.  
“I am now.” I murmured and reached behind me with my left hand. Nathaniel rubbed his head around it and I tickled him behind his ear.  
Merry came up and touched my face gently. “You sure you’re okay?”  
I nodded and glanced over at where Cel knelt at his mother’s feet with Conri just behind him. “But she agreed, mother.” He was saying.  
“Bullshit.” I said pushing away from Rhys but not moving my hand from Nathaniel. “If I didn’t do what he asked he was going to have Conri hurt Nathaniel.” My last few words came out strangled as I realised how close Cel had come to…oh God. I felt the first tears filling my eyes and swallowed against them. Merry saw them first and pulled me against her, holding me tight. I fought the tears for all I was worth but finally a sob escaped. Rhys was rubbing my back as Nathaniel licked my fingers, both giving me comfort. Merry was shushing me and gently rocking me side to side. I opened my eyes to see Andais walking towards me.  
“Anita, I cannot apologise enough for what my son has done.” Her face was grave but the look in her eyes said she knew he’d done it before; he’d just never been caught. “He will be punished I assure you.”  
“How?” I said leaning back from Merry.  
“I’m sorry?”  
“How will he be punished?” I wiped at my eyes with the fingertips from my arm still in plaster.  
Andais glanced around the room at the assembled Ravens who had come with her then back at Cel who had turned to watch us. “He will spend eight weeks in the care of Ezekiel.” She said quietly.  
“Mother, no!” Cel yelled.  
“Is this the usual punishment for such a crime?” I whispered to Merry as Andais turned away.  
“Unless you are bound to another, then the punishment would be double because it would be two he was hurting.” She looked straight into my eyes from close range and I knew the exact moment she realised what I was thinking. “If you think you know what you’re doing.” She nodded once.  
“I hope so.” I murmured then spoke out loud. “Rhys and I are getting engaged.”  
Andais froze where she stood and turned to me slowly. “I’m sorry?”  
I looked round at Rhys who was looking down at me in surprise. “Rhys and I are getting engaged. He’d asked me, we just hadn’t made it official yet.”  
“Which means by our laws the sentence must be doubled.” Merry said.  
Andais looked between the three of us and her gaze finally rested on Rhys. “Is this true?”  
“Yes.” He said the corners of his mouth quirking as he fought not to smile. “I’d asked Anita if she’d like to get engaged.” He hadn’t looked at her but instead was gazing into my eyes. It felt incredibly corny but hey, it worked.  
“Very well. Sixteen weeks, starting at midnight tonight. And I would be interested to know where that came from.” She pointed at Nathaniel then walked away and didn’t give Cel a second glance. He yelled after her as two of her Ravens drew him and Conri to their feet and took them away.  
I leant against Rhys as he wrapped his arms round me. “I hope you didn’t just say that to get Cel more torture time.”  
I sighed. “Well it seemed like a good idea at the time. And I never go back on my word.”  
He leant back from me and turned me to face him fully. “You really mean it.” He picked me up suddenly and kissed me.  
“Really.” I smiled at him as he put my feet back on the floor. “I couldn’t think of a good enough reason to say no.”  
“Did the two of you just get engaged so Cel would get more torture?” Doyle asked walking towards us with the other guards.  
I looked up thoughtfully as though mulling it over. “That’s one reason, yeah.” I nodded.  
“You are a very interesting woman, Anita.” Doyle shook his head.  
“I’m a very cold woman.” I said. “Anyone got a spare shirt?” I pulled my torn blouse around me.  
“We’ll find you one.” Merry said putting an arm round me. “But what do we do about him?” She pointed at Nathaniel curled up on the bed.  
“Let him sleep it off.” I shrugged. “He needs to rest once he’s changed back.”  
“Well the board have started compiling a spell of detection. Once it’s done we can go to the source.”  
“I think perhaps we should find somewhere we can all rest for now.” Frost said. “It has been a long day.” And he was right. I’d felt dawn come, which meant it was at least seven.  
A communal room was organised where we could all rest, sleep, recoup, whatever, with more beds, sofas and nests of pillows than I’d ever seen. Merry found me a tunic top which was a little large but it was better than a torn shirt. Everyone got comfortable, hoping for a few hours rest. I told Nathaniel he could shift back and get himself some sleep, which he did in the bathroom area then Rhys carried his sleeping form back to the pillows once we’d rinsed him of the clear gunk that accompanies any lycanthrope change.  
Rhys pulled me to one side for a semblance of privacy and sat me down. “How come your arm’s still in plaster?”  
“Fflur couldn’t heal it cos of the metal pins in it. But my leg’s great.”  
“Still can’t hold your Browning though.” He frowned.  
“No but I can run.”  
He cupped my face with his hand and caressed my cheek with his thumb. “Are you sure you want this?” He murmured.  
“To be engaged? Yeah. So long as Jean Claude is really okay with it and the two of you don’t pressurise me for anything more.”  
“We won’t.” He said kissing my forehead. “But I still get to propose and get you a ring.”  
“You already proposed, Rhys. And I don’t want some chunky ass diamond. I don’t need another ring anyway. I have this one.” I glanced down and my left hand then something crossed my mind. “What happened to my other ring? The one from Jean Claude.” I hadn’t even thought about it but I had a cast on my arm and no ring.  
“The docs had to cut it off you. Jean Claude was going to get you a replacement.”  
I sighed. “I hadn’t even noticed it was gone.” I shook my head.  
“Hardly surprising. You’ve got a huge lump of plaster on your arm.” He knocked on it slightly. “But I’ve got to get you a ring. It’s the way it’s done.”  
“Okay, but I get to choose it.”  
“Too late.” He grinned.  
“I hope you’re joking.”  
“Nope.” He shook his head.  
“How long have you had it?” I stared at him in disbelief.  
“Since I got the eternity ring.” At least he had the decency to look embarrassed.  
“You were so sure I’d cave?”  
“I was hopeful you’d cave.” He leant towards me and brushed my lips with his own.  
“You seemed pleased.” I murmured as he kissed me harder. I rested my plastered arm against his chest and ran my left hand around his neck into his hair. His tongue darted across my lips bringing a whimper from me as his hands snaked around my waist and shoulders holding me to him. I’d just relaxed into the kiss when my cell phone started to ring. I broke away from Rhys with a roll of my eyes and a frustrated groan.  
I answered it without looking at the display. “Blake.”  
“Something is very wrong, ma petite.”  
“Jean Claude?” My jaw fell open.  
“Oui.”  
“What are you still doing up? I felt the sun rise ages ago.”  
“I am unsure, ma petite. I lay in my coffin, preparing for the day, I felt the sun rise and I was still awake. After several minutes I got up to find Asher also awake.”  
“Is it just the two of you? Only masters?”  
“Non. Damian is also awake, as are Willie and Hannah, and a plethora of other lesser vampires.”  
“This is to do with the spell on the sky, isn’t it?” I said putting my plastered hand to my forehead.  
“I believe so.”  
“Shit.”  
“Eloquent but accurate.”  
“I’ll get back to you. The bigwigs at the court are working on a spell of detection we should be able to follow back to source. I’ll let you know when that happens.”  
“Alright, ma petite. Take care.”  
“Oh but there’s a couple more things. Firstly Andais let the court healer have a go at my leg and it’s healed.”  
“Really? What about your arm?”  
“No. She couldn’t heal it because of the steel pins.”  
“Ah. The fey and their one failing. What else?”  
“Cel tried to rape me.”  
“What?!” I heard his voice rise considerably and Asher in the background ask what was wrong.  
“Its okay, he’s going to be punished. I got a rescue in time.”  
“I am glad to hear it. I want the whole story as soon as you are able.”  
“Sure. There’s one last thing though.”  
“Oui?”  
“I agreed to get engaged to Rhys.”  
“About time, ma petite, congratulations. You realise that…”  
“Don’t say it, Jean Claude. I did not accept the proposal for you guys to nag me about the marriage of either kind. If fact if either of you mention it I will take back my acceptance.”  
“But, ma petite…”  
“No buts, Jean Claude. I’ll call you later.” I hung up and put the phone back in my pocket.  
“So Jean Claude’s not abed?” Rhys frowned at me.  
“Nope. This spell’s doing more than we thought.”  
“Come on. You’ve got to rest some before we can save the world.” He took my hand and led me towards the nest of pillows where Nathaniel lay covered in a simple blanket.  
“You think I can rest after all that’s gone on?” I said sinking onto the pillows between him and Nathaniel.  
“I think you’d better try.” He laid back and pulled me down to lay beside him, my head on his shoulder, my plastered arm over his chest. I sighed, breathing in the scent of him and closed my eyes. Even though a lot had happened sleep still pulled at me and as I felt it about to wash over me I heard Rhys murmur; “Merry Christmas, Anita.”


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More side effects of the mysterious spell are discovered; Anita goes to work; master vamp pow wow and Genevieve gets flirty.

“She’s right here, hold on.” A gentle nudging at my shoulder woke me and I opened my eyes to see Rhys with my cell phone to his ear. “It’s Cherry.” He said holding it to me. I sat up in the pillows and took the phone off him.  
“Hey, Cherry.”  
“Anita, where are you? We’re at your place but it’s deserted.”  
“Oh hell, its Christmas Day isn’t it?”  
“Yeah. Is something wrong? Have you heard from Nathaniel?”  
“He’s here with me. I’m on a case for RPIT.”  
“Is it something to do with the dark?”  
“The what?” I asked her rubbing my eye.  
“The fact it’s still dark out but the sun rose hours ago.”  
“It’s what?” I stood quickly. “Rhys, what’s the quickest way outside?”  
“I’ll take you.” We started out of the room as I spoke to Cherry some more.  
“There’s some spell on the sky but I didn’t know this was one of the effects. I’m hoping to be able to find the source and shut it down.”  
“It’s strange out, Anita. There seem to be vamps wandering around not knowing what to do.” Her voice sounded tight as though she was scared. “I was worried. And you were missing. We were afraid something had happened to you.”  
“I’m fine, Cherry. I’ll call you back shortly, in the meantime just stay at my place and don’t invite any strange vamps into the house.”  
“Okay, take care, Anita.”  
I hung up as Rhys and I ran down the corridor as fast as we could. Finally we reached a door that led outside and Rhys flung it open. We stopped not two steps from the door and looked round.  
“How long did we sleep?” Rhys said shaking his head.  
“Not long.” I glanced at my watch. “It’s only eleven am.”  
“It’s still dark.”  
“I know.” I said looking up at the sky. It was black. No sun, no stars, no moon, just black as far as the eye can see.  
“Fuck.” I turned to see Merry come out of the door closely followed by the guards.  
“Yeah fuck.” I said pulling my cell out again. I called Dolph and he picked up before the first ring was halfway through.  
“Storr.”  
“Dolph, it’s me. What’s going on?”  
“Dammit Anita, I really could do with you up to full health right now.”  
“My leg’s okay now Dolph, I’m almost there. What do you need?”  
“We’ve got executions being sanctioned. Larry Kirkland is coping as best he can but there are too many to go around. Can you work?”  
“I can carry out executions.” I said. “Hold on.” I turned to the group. “Guys I have to get back to town. Can you find out what’s going on and call me?”  
“Of course.” Merry nodded. “I’ll get back to them now.”  
“And get someone to watch Nathaniel. He’s going to need to sleep for another couple of hours. Rhys, get me to the jeep.” I put the phone back to my ear and started to follow Rhys through the fresh snow. “I’m on my way back to town, Dolph. Where do you need me?” He gave me an address. “Dolph, that’s the Animators Inc office.”  
“I know.” he said. “There’s a vamp down there tearing up the lobby. I need him assessing because we don’t have the warrant yet but I want you there in case it comes in. I have a team going there next.”  
“Alright, Dolph. Just do me one favour?”  
“What?”  
“Don’t get Larry killed.” I hung up.  
“What’s happening?” Rhys asked as we picked up the pace.  
“Revenant vamps everywhere. I think the daytime no sleep thing is throwing them off. We need to get to my office. There’s one there they think they might be getting an order of execution on.”  
“If it’s at your office chances are it’s someone looking for you.”  
“I know.” I glanced at him.  
We ran the rest of the way in silence. The snow was seeping through my slippers making my feet cold and wet but at least I could run. Rhys drove and I called Jean Claude at the Circus.  
“Ma petite, I am glad you have called. Something is happening to our people.”  
“I know, I know. They’re acting like revenants, right?”  
“Indeed. Most of the masters have managed to contain them, locking them in coffins and the such however some are at large.”  
“And the cops are getting orders of execution drawn against them.”  
“They are?”  
“Yep. I’m on my way to a possible one now.”  
“These people are not revenants in the true sense of the word, ma petite. The spell is causing some sort of reaction.”  
“I know.” A thought struck me. “You don’t think this could be someone on the council’s doing? Like when Mr Oliver wanted to make things go back to the way things were before Addison vs Clarke?”  
He was quiet for a moment then spoke softly. “An interesting thought, ma petite, however I do not believe anyone from the council is in town.”  
“It doesn’t have to be the council themselves, just someone who followed Oliver’s way of thinking.”   
“C’est possible. I am calling all the masters together in the hope together we can come up with some solution.”  
“Merry’s gone to find out how the spell’s coming too. I hoped they’d have it done by now.”  
“Complicated spells take time, ma petite. They cannot be rushed.”  
“Yeah, shame. I’ve gotta go, Jean Claude, take care of our people.”  
“And you take care of yourself, ma amore.”  
I relayed the conversation back to Rhys and he shook his head. “You mean someone might be doing this to get vampires illegal again?”  
“It’s possible yeah. Damn I hate vamp politics.”  
We were stopped a street away from my office by a police blockade so I got out with my RPIT badge attached to my collar, my Browning in my left pocket, my Firestar in its holster and my executioner’s license held high.  
“Anita Blake. I understand you’re waiting for me.” I said to the nearest officer and handed him my license.  
“Glad you’re here, ma’am.” He nodded. “The creature is in one of the offices but the assessment team isn’t here yet. So far he’s not hurt anyone, just furniture.”  
“Let me see him, I might be able to tell something more than you.”  
“I don’t know.” the guy shook his head.  
“I’m armed, officer, really I’ll be fine. If he attacks me you can shoot him.”  
“Alright.” I started past the barrier with Rhys at my heels. “I’ll need to see some ID, sir.”  
I glanced back to where the officer had stopped Rhys. “I really need to be in there with her.” Rhys said sincerely.  
“This is police business, sir. I’m sorry.”  
“I’ll be okay, Rhys, really.”  
“No, you won’t.” he shook his head. He took out his wallet and handed it to the officer. “Listen, I’m a PI and I’m also Anita’s guard as sanctioned by the agreement between the Unseelie court and the government. I can’t let her go in there alone. Not only would my neck be on the line but the whole of fey/human relations, as we know it may hinge on her life. She’s close friends with Princess Meredith.”  
The cop raised and eyebrow and glanced back at me. “It’s true.” I said with a small smile.  
“Okay. You can go in.” Rhys stepped up beside me with a quick thanks to the cop and we walked down the street towards the office.  
“Any chance you could walk a few steps behind me?” I asked as I drew my Firestar and clicked off the safety. There were more cops down here, all with guns trained on the office front where broken wood littered the snow.  
“Why?” Rhys asked.  
“Because I’m the Executioner and I said so.”  
“I don’t like it but I will.”  
“Thanks.” He fell back a few paces and I approached the office front from head on. It was dark inside but I could just make out a figure about to throw the remains of a bench at the elevator door. I kept my Firestar by my leg and stepped a little closer. The figure stopped what he was doing and turned towards me. He dropped the bench and started towards me slowly. The streetlights outside cast an eerie light on the darkened interior but I caught glimpses of colour; the white of a shirt, a flash of red hair.  
“No.” I whispered. “Rhys, stay there. Whatever happens, don’t let anyone shoot him.”  
“Alright.” I heard Rhys relaying my order to the cops but I ignored him.   
I walked closer, a little more confidently and felt the pull of our link as though it was a solid thing. I heard him emitting a low growl the closer I got.  
“Damian, its Anita.” I said quietly as I stepped through what used to be a door. Whether he didn’t hear or understand me I wasn’t sure but he jumped at me, pushing me against a wall inside the lobby. I heard Rhys yell; “Hold your fire! She knows what she’s doing!”  
Damian had a tight grip on my upper arms and had lifted me off the ground so our faces were level. He growled and snapped at me, his greener than green eyes burned.  
“Damian it’s me, its Anita.” I said again hoping for some degree of recognition but didn’t get one. I knew what he meant to do as he drew his head back, fangs drawn but maybe that would help. Damian was tied to me by blood and necromancy and just maybe I could bring him back to himself with a little of each. If not I was afraid I’d have to use the Firestar I had pressed into his ribcage.  
As his fangs sank into my throat I called my necromancy, touched his face with the fingertips of my right hand and spoke softly; “Damian, I call you with blood, you are mine, Damian, come back to me, please.” I repeated it over and over. I felt Damian’s jaw go still against my throat and his body relax a little. His head slowly moved back from my neck but I kept my fingertips against his cheek as he looked at me.  
“Anita…” He whispered. “What’s happening?” He lowered my feet to the ground and gingerly touched my neck. “Did I do that?”  
“It’s okay, Damian. You’ve not been yourself.” I smiled at him as I put on the safety and slid the Firestar into my pocket.  
“I could have really hurt you.” He said moving his hand to hold mine but encountered the plaster cast. “But it looks like someone beat me to it.” He smiled slightly.  
“I’m fine. We have to get you out of here.” I held up my left hand. “Hang onto that. I think my touch might help you control yourself.”  
“Surely as soon as we go out the police will want to arrest me.” he said looking at me with worried eyes.  
“Point.” I said raising an eyebrow. “Do you think you can control yourself for a couple of minutes?”  
“I think so.” He nodded.  
“Okay as soon as we get out of here if they make a move to arrest you go quickly down to my jeep and hide behind it. Rhys and I will come over and let you in then we can get out.”  
“Alright.” He gave my hand a gentle squeeze.  
“Let’s go.” We stepped towards the entrance and I yelled; “We’re coming out, hold fire!” I heard an officer call out hold fire again just to make sure everyone heard. Rhys was stood in the middle of the street looking carefully at us as we stepped out.  
“It’s okay.” I said as we walked forward. “But I have to get him to his coffin.”  
“Sorry, ma’am. We can’t let you do that.” One of the marksmen said stepping forward.  
“Listen if I don’t get him back now he’ll go revenant all over your ass on the way to the station. You wanna explain to the DA why you got your face eaten off on Christmas morning?” He eventually shook his head slightly. “Didn’t think so. Right now my touch is the only thing keeping him sane. I let go and leave him he’s going to go skitz again. I suggest you let me get him settled and you move on to the next scene.”  
“Can you do that with all the vamps?” he asked looking at the now calm Damian.  
“I’m not sure.” I lied. “But it worked here so let’s not question it. Can I go?”  
“Alright.” He shook his head. “But he gets caught again he’s toast, can you explain that to him?”  
“I understand perfectly, officer.” Damian said bowing his head slightly. “Thank you for the warning.”  
The officer looked at Damian as though he was a talking dog and waved us off. I sighed with relief that we hadn’t had to go to plan b. Rhys walked on my other side with Damian still holding my hand.  
“Good to see you again, Damian, you bit my fiancée, huh?” Rhys said. Dammit he still had a problem with the master/servant thing.  
“I am truly sorry for that, Rhys.” Damian looked over at him. “Did you say fiancée?”  
“I did.” Rhys nodded his face blank.  
“Congratulations.” Damian smiled.  
“Lets just get you home.” I said interrupting them. I ended up in the back seat with Damian so he could continue to touch me as Rhys drove to the circus. I brought Damian up to speed on everything and he agreed to be locked in his coffin for his own safety once we returned.  
The staff parking lot at the Circus of the Damned was full but that was okay, I had a reserved space by the door. I let Rhys unlock the door and we went down the steps to Jean Claude’s living area and through the door. I knew there was a master vamp powwow going on before I got through the door. Jean Claude and Asher sat on the sofa with Genevieve and Malcolm from the Church of Eternal Life in the chairs opposite.  
“Now I know this isn’t all the master vamps from the city.” I said as Jean Claude started towards us.  
“Ma petite, you found Damian.”  
“Yeah and I need someone to go lock him in his coffin.”  
“I’ll go, ma cherie.” Asher said walking towards us.  
Damian looked down at me and I smiled. “Go on, it’s okay. I’ll see you soon.”   
He kissed the back of my hand and murmured; “Sorry about the neck.” And followed Asher from the room.  
Jean Claude caressed my cheek with his hand. “Are you alright?”  
“I’m fine.” I said walking to his phone. “But the shit has really hit the fan top side. Hi Malcolm, by the way. Genevieve.” I nodded to her. Malcolm was dressed in a conservative blue suit; Genevieve in a simple stylish black dress, a large smoky stone hanging or rather resting on her ample cleavage.   
I called Dolph's number only to be redirected to his car phone, which rang and rang. “Dammit.” I hung up.  
“I must return to the church in case any followers need help.” Malcolm said standing. “If anything new develops I will contact you, Jean Claude.”  
“Aurevoir, mon ami.” Jean Claude nodded as he left.  
“I would like to stay here and offer you any assistance I can.” Genevieve said walking up to Jean Claude. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.  
“You’d be better out on the streets trying to calm the vamps.” I said walking back to them.  
“But that is not without risk, ma petite.” Jean Claude shook his head. “If the spell should end while we were above ground, well it would be messy.”  
“Fine but I have to get back out there. Can you see if there’s any way of rounding up the vamps to shelter of some sort in case it does happen?”  
“I will try and call them here to the circus. I am their master and they should answer unless they are too far gone.”  
“And if they are we can’t help them anyway.” I said. I walked towards Jean Claude’s bedroom and called; “Can I have a word, Jean Claude, while I get some Nikes?”  
He followed me and I pulled out a pair of black Nikes from the bottom of the wardrobe.  
“What is wrong, ma petite? You seem agitated.”  
“Is it any wonder?” I said getting some socks and sitting on the bed to put them on. I struggled for several moments before Jean Claude came and knelt before me and helped.  
“Agitated about something other than this. I know you, ma petite. There is something you’re not saying.”  
I sighed. Was it that obvious? “I don’t want you alone with Genevieve.” I confessed.  
“You are jealous?” He looked at me, an amused expression on his face.  
“No not really, I just don’t trust her, in any way.”  
“Ma petite, why would I succumb to her meagre offerings when I have your beauty to satisfy me?” He said as he held my face between his hands.  
“I don’t know.” I shook my head. “There’s just something about her that’s not right. I can’t put my finger on it but there’s something.”  
He kissed me softly. “I will ask her to return to her residence until this is over, ma petite. I cannot have you worrying about me when there is so much more for you to worry about.”  
“Thanks for reminding me.” I rolled my eyes. “I have to get above ground in case Merry tries to call me.”  
“Let me know as soon as you hear anything.”  
“Of course.” I nodded.  
We went back out to the main room to find Genevieve sitting very close to Rhys on the sofa. He stood quickly as we entered. “Hey, guys. What’s up?”  
“Rhys was just telling me the two of you got engaged.” Genevieve said standing.  
“Yeah, well more like the three of us.” I said as Jean Claude put a hand on my shoulder. I managed a smile.  
“You share your human servant with a man not even the third of your triumvirate?” She stood. “That is hardly fate worthy of one so great.”  
“Rhys, un example, sil vous plait.” Jean Claude said holding his hand out to Rhys. Rhys took it as he stepped closer to us moving close enough that we were almost in a three-way embrace.  
**“Call your powers, mon amore. Let us show this wench how true power can be.”**  
I smiled slightly as my necromancy flared to meet Rhys’ power only to be joined moments later by the icy breathe of Jean Claude’s power. The air around us seemed to swirl with power and I felt goosebumps break out all over my body. It felt good. It had been days since we’d linked together in such a way and I was starting to think I was becoming as much of a power junkie as Jean Claude. As we each subsided our powers on some unspoken cue I realised I had my eyes shut and I blinked them open. I leant back against Jean Claude and looked at Genevieve. Her eyes had gone a solid brown and emotions radiated from her so strong I could taste them. Jealousy, anger, envy, all there.  
“You have made your point.” She said tartly.  
“I believe we have.” Jean Claude said kissing my cheek and then, to my surprise, Rhys’. “Now you have places to go, people to help.” He moved back a step from us. **“Do not worry, ma petite. Asher now returns and we can handle anything Genevieve may try.”**  
“I’ll call you soon.” I said going on tiptoes and kissing him.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tracking the power begins; Anita runs into an old acquaintance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, just a reminder, ** either side of speech denotes mind to mind contact.

As I was trying to reach Dolph again Rhys’ cell phone rang. “Merry.” He said to me and I cut my connection to Dolph's ringing car phone.  
“Hi.” He answered. “Great. We’re at the circus…all right. We’ll see you there.” He hung up. “She’s almost back to town. She’s got the spell she just thought we’d all like to be together for the search.”  
“Hell yes. If I can’t get hold of Dolph then we’ll go it alone. I just hope Jean Claude has some joy calling the vamps back otherwise the city is going to have some impromptu barbecues.”  
I called Jean Claude and let him know Merry had the spell and we were going to meet her at the outskirts of town where she thought she might have found the place the spell was cast.  
The streets were virtually empty apart from the odd car or revenant vamp who ran off as soon as I flashed my cross at them. Despite the obvious problems outside most people seemed to be home enjoying their Christmas Day.  
The address, or rather location, Merry had given Rhys was a children’s play area on the far edge of town. Thankfully it had stopped snowing but it was still colder than hell. And to make matters worse my arm was itching under my cast. I jiggled it slightly hoping for a bit of relief but it didn’t work. Oh well, better get my mind back to the matter at hand. Maybe I’d forget about it.  
Merry was there already with all the guards. They were fanned out each with a hand held out in front of them. She saw us as we approached and came towards us.  
“Well this is it but there’s not much to see.” She shook her head, “But there is magic here. Or at least there was in the last twenty-four hours.”  
“So how do we trace it?” I asked her.  
“With these.” She held out her hand to reveal a small clear crystal. “The spell is cast on them, they get warmer and glow slightly as the line of power is followed, although so far all we’ve found is residual traces that disappear after a few meters. I have one for each of you.”  
“Thanks. What happened to Nathaniel?”  
“He’s helping Galen.” She smiled slightly. “He wanted to help me but I said that was okay, I could manage.”  
We looked at each other for a moment then laughed. “Well at least roses are out of season.” I said and we laughed harder.  
“I don’t get it.” Rhys said, frowning.  
“Don’t worry about it.” Merry said resting a hand on his arm.  
She gave us each a stone and I half wedged mine under my cast so I could keep my left hand free for my weapon. She told us we’d all started at the epicentre of the spell and worked outward from any trace of magic. So Rhys, Merry and I stood back to back at the centre of the circle. I could feel the magic still buzzing around us from the circle they had cast and it made me shudder. We each followed a separate trail of magic, some lasting only feet before they faded others going further afield until they too disappeared.  
An hour later I found myself further afield muttering about fey magic being highly inaccurate and why after all these years they hadn’t found a better way of tracing it. I was almost two blocks from the playground, the furthest I’d got so far and I was trusting my own instincts as much as I was the stone going warmer in my hand as I traced the line of magic. Now though I stood at a four way crossing and wondered whether to trust my instinct or the stone. The stone said keep going straight but my instinct told me that there was another line of magic going right. I decided to go right; I could always come back and go straight.  
The stone cooled against my already cold hand but the magic was still there, growing stronger as I walked. I suddenly realised my breath was coming heavy and my heart pounding. I slid my hand into my pocket and started to draw out my Firestar when an arm clamped around my waist pinning my left arm to me and hand clamped over my mouth and I was half dragged, half carried into an alley.  
How could I have been so stupid? I’d been following a trail of magic my instinct told me to follow but hadn’t realised what it was. It was the marks.  
“You truly are getting careless, Executioner.” Kaie’s voice was close to my ear and hushed.  
**“Rhys, I need help again.”**  
**“Now who’ve you run into?”**  
**“Kaie.”**  
“If I move my hand, do you give me your word you won’t scream?” I nodded. I mean what’s the point in screaming when I’d already let Rhys know I needed him? Kaie slowly moved his hand from my mouth to hold the top of my right arm.  
“If you’re going to kill me or give me the third mark could you get on with it? I’ve got better things to do than be threatened by you.” I whispered. His response was to turn and push me against the wall so his body held me against it. This seemed like a popular pose lately.  
“I would gladly kill you were I sure I would survive.” He hissed. “But your soul has permeated mine and I realise now that I have no choice but to make you my human servant completely.” He moved his head so his mouth was nearer my throat. “What do you know of the blackness filling the sky?”  
“What?”  
“The blackness. What do you know of it?”  
“It’s magical.” I said trying to find a way to get to my gun and failing. “Someone’s cast a spell. You’ve been following me.” I didn’t make it a question.  
“How does it work?”  
“I don’t know. We’re trying to trace it so we can find the source and stop it.”  
“How?”  
“I don’t know.” I struggled a little against him making the point either to get on with it or don’t.  
“All lesser vampires have gone revenant; this is very bad press for us. This could be enough to get the law repealed.”  
“If it’s allowed to go on. I’m trying to stop it.”  
“I’ll help you.” He whispered and sank his fangs into my throat. I gasped but managed not to scream, if I did that he might just change his mind and snap my neck. I gritted my teeth as he fed and reached out with my mind, trying to find Rhys but instead found Jean Claude.  
**“Ma petite, what is happening?”**  
**“Kaie is giving me the third mark.”**  
**“And you are letting him?!”**  
**“I don’t have much choice; just keep my mind off it, please.”**  
**“I will do all I can, ma petite.”**  
**“Could you help Rhys find me too? Through the marks?”**  
**“Oui.”**  
I felt the marks between us flare and I calmed slightly and separated myself from the feel and sound of Kaie sucking at my throat. I was going to have a nice pair of bite marks on either side of my neck though. Finally he finished but didn’t release me.  
“I offer you my assistance to solve this problem. It is in all our best interests to bring down whatever is causing this. A truce until it is solved, Executioner.”  
“One condition. If it’s a truce you don’t force the fourth mark on me.”  
“Very well.” He stepped back from me quickly and I stumbled slightly. I turned to face him and touched the fresh mark he’d put on my neck. It felt like a bruise already.  
“I can’t believe you guys haven’t found a better way of doing that yet.” I scowled.  
“The sky, Executioner. We must find the source and destroy it.” He frowned at me, an impatient look I was used to getting from Jean Claude.  
“Yeah yeah, we’re working on it.” I showed him the stone. “This stone can follow the trail of the magic. It leads up the street. Take it and follow it. Let me know if you find the source.”  
“Perhaps I should stay with you.” He said taking the stone.  
“I don’t think so. Just because we have a truce doesn’t mean my boyfriends won’t try and kill you.”  
“My truce was for all your people, Anita. If you allow them to kill me your word is worth nothing.”  
“Still doesn’t mean I want to hang round with you, asshole.” I walked out of the alley to see Rhys running towards me with Frost at his back. Rhys had his gun drawn, Frost his sword. “Hold your fire.” I held up a hand. “It’s okay. Kaie’s in the alley but we’ve made a truce. You can’t kill him.”  
“The hell I can’t.” He said pulling me behind him.  
“No, you can’t!” I pulled on the arm holding his gun. “I gave him my word.”  
“Was this before or after he marked you?” Rhys frowned.  
“After.” I said softly. “He wants to help stop the spell.”  
“I can’t believe you took his truce.”  
Kaie emerged from the alley with his hands held out in front of him showing he meant no harm. “I did it because he promised not to force the fourth mark on me.”  
**“Go to the circus and get Jean Claude to give you the fourth mark.”**  
“No!”  
He glared at me. “Better the devil you know, honey.”  
“I wish only to help the sky return to normal.” Kaie said.  
“And once it’s done, the truce is broken and you’ll try and force the fourth mark on Anita.”  
“Once done and the truce over Anita will try and kill me.” Kaie smiled slightly.  
“She’s not the only one.” Rhys snarled.  
“Okay boys, calm it down. We still have to find the source.” I tightened my grip on Rhys’ arm as Frost rested his other hand on his shoulder. “We can panic about my mortality later.” No one moved however, Rhys stood staring at Kaie, Kaie staring at Rhys. I felt magic flare from Kaie and I stepped forward quickly, putting myself between them. “Alright kiddies let me get some things straight,” I turned to face Kaie and pointed my finger at him, “Firstly you try and roll the minds of any of my people and the truce is off. Secondly you can’t roll Rhys’ mind because he used to be a death god, which means he has a certain degree of power over you. You’d probably better remember that last part.”  
“I consider myself duly warned.” He nodded.  
“And as for you,” I turned to face Rhys, “stop baiting him.”


	17. Chapter 17

I sent Kaie off after the trail of magic I’d been following and went back to the playground with Rhys and Frost. Frost handed me a silver silk handkerchief for my neck as it was still bleeding a little. I was pissed off at Kaie but most of all I was pissed off at me. That’s the last time I follow my instincts. Most of the gang were together waiting for us when we got back. Merry came straight up to us and took the silk from my throat.  
“So he marked you.” She said sadly.  
“Yeah.”  
“And she made a pact with him.” Rhys sneered.  
“What?”  
“It’s not like that.” I sighed. “We made a truce that I won’t kill him and he won’t force the fourth mark on me until we solve the problem with the sky. He’s tracing one of the lines of magic now.”  
“And I can’t kill him either.” Rhys said.  
“What was I supposed to do?” I yelled. “Tell him no truce and let him give me the fourth mark there and then?”  
“You should have kept him talking until I got there and I’d have killed him.” He snapped back.  
“I didn’t know how long you’d be. The only thing I was worried about right then was not getting the fourth mark.”  
“So you made it so he’s protected from us? Great plan.”  
“Drop it, Rhys!” I turned away from him but he grabbed my arm and turned me back to him.  
“Never leave an enemy at your back Anita, you told me that yourself.”  
“And don’t get killed. You’ve told me that often enough.” We glared at each other for a moment, our respective powers battering at each other in angry waves. Then he pulled me against him in a tight hug and my shoulders sagged.  
“What if he marks you once we’re done? What if you don’t get to him first?”  
“I will, Rhys.” I sighed. “I just…” I froze as I felt another presence with us.  
**“Executioner, I believe I have found the resting place of the source.”**  
“What’s wrong?” Rhys asked as I started to shake.  
“Kaie’s found the resting place of the source.” I swallowed loud enough to hear.  
“How do you know that?” Nicca asked as Galen and Nathaniel rejoined the group.  
“He just told me.” I sighed. “It’s the third mark. He can speak directly into my mind now.”  
“Like Jean Claude can.” Merry nodded. “Really Anita, wouldn’t it just be easier to take the fourth mark from Jean Claude, at least then no one could mark you again, ever.”  
I turned to look at her from the circle of Rhys’ arms as Nathaniel touched my back gingerly. “It’s not an option, Merry. Trust me, its not.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter! You know what that means!


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anita gets sidelined.

Kaie sent me the details as to where he was and we decided to drive there, the address he’d given us being at least five miles away. I could have run it but with all the revenants running around and the amount of us there were…well it was just easier to drive. Guess Kaie had flown. I hadn’t thought of having a master vamp trace it that way, then again I wouldn’t want to risk any of my own vamps but Kaie would do nicely.  
The number of revenant vamps on the street seemed to lessen and I hoped Jean Claude’s plan of calling them all to the circus had worked.  
The address Kaie relayed was in Princeton Heights. The building was old and red bricked, with a chain link fence running round it. There were no lights on; in fact the place looked deserted.  
Kaie was leaning against a neighbouring fence when we got there looking relaxed and as though for all the world he belonged. He stood up straight as I got out of the car and held a hand towards me. I just stared at it until he took it back.   
“I just want to get one thing straight.” I said as everyone else reached the pavement. “I don’t want to work with you but we need all the help we can get.”  
“Understood.” He nodded.  
“And I’m not the kind of servant who does stuff for you, or helps you in any way.”  
“I suspected as much.” He smiled slightly.  
“Good. So this is the place?” I asked pointing at the building.  
“It is where I traced the trail of magic.” He nodded.  
“He’s right.” Merry said glancing at the stone in her hand. “There are residual traces in the air.”  
“So let’s see who’s at home.” I said. As Doyle started formulating a plan, some round the back, some to the front, my cell phone started to ring. I moved around to the back of my jeep to answer it. “Blake.”  
“Anita.” It was Dolph. “Where are you?”  
“I’ve been trying to call you all morning.”  
“I know. I just saw my missed calls list. Most of the vamps seem to have just quit and wandered off. Any idea why?”  
“Yeah. Jean Claude was going to try and invoke his status as Master of the City and call them to the circus and contain them there. We think we’ve traced the source of magic.”  
“We?”  
“Yeah. You remember in March you met Merry? Who I later told you was the Unseelie princess?”  
“I remember.”  
“Well her aunt had her advisors write a spell of detection for us. We’ve tracked the point the spell was cast and back to wherever the whoever went next. We’re there now.”  
“Give me the address, I’ll send some back up.”  
“I don’t think I need it, Dolph.” I shook my head. “I have six Unseelie Ravens and a master vamp as back up. I don’t think I need any more.”  
“I’d still feel better if you did.”  
“We’re not waiting, Dolph. We’re going in now.”  
“Can they cope without you?”  
“Why?”  
“I have a problem I need you on.”  
“Like what?”  
“Like we sent Larry to take out a revenant vamp an hour ago and now no one can reach him.”  
“Dammit I told you not to get him killed.” I pinched the bridge of my nose and Nathaniel came up beside me. I was guessing he’d felt my annoyance.  
“We’re not sure he’s dead, Anita, we just can’t raise him. Can you go check it out? I’ve got back up going now but I think they’ll need your help.”  
“Sure. Where was it?” He gave me the address. “That’s about ten minutes from me. I’m on my way.” I rang off. “Larry might be in trouble.” I said walking back to the group. “I have to go.”  
“You still can’t drive.” Rhys pointed out.  
“I’ll drive for you.” Kaie stepped forward.  
“No way.” Rhys and I said together.  
“I’ll take Nathaniel. He can wait in the car while I find Larry.”  
“Take care both of you.” Rhys kissed me slightly.  
Kaie stepped forward and I stepped back. “Touch me and die.” I said and walked back to the jeep.  
“You want us to go in without you?” Merry asked.  
“I guess. I don’t like it but I have to make sure Larry’s okay.” I got in the passenger seat but kept the door open. “Keep me informed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goddamnit, Larry!


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Larry needs to learn.

There were two squad cars already there but all the cops seemed to be outside waiting for something, guns drawn. I spotted Tammy as we approached and she walked straight towards me, a worried expression on her face.  
“Dolph said you were coming and we weren’t to go in until you did.”  
“I’m here now. Give me the gen and we can get in there.”  
“We got a 911 saying that a vamp had broken into this apartment building and took out the janitor at least. Larry came straight here to take it out.”  
“Alone?” I raised an eyebrow.  
“It was like all the others he’d gone on today. He had no trouble with them.” She said defensively.  
“Why wasn’t I called?” I shook my head.  
“Dolph didn’t want you in any danger. With your leg and arm…” she glanced down at my leg. “You were on crutches last night.”  
“And now I’m better. Let’s go save Larry.” I drew my Firestar.  
Most of the lightbulbs in the building were out, meaning it was almost completely dark. My night vision is good but in the darkened hallway there weren’t even any shadows, it was all shadows.  
Tammy had a torch and her gun held together; the gun in her right hand, her torch above it in her left. She walked behind me with the beam of light leading the way. The carnage here was evident, blood stained the walls, and broken furniture littered the floor. I’d made Nathaniel stay in the jeep and ordered him not get in trouble. Four uniforms followed us through the building, each with gun drawn.  
We reached a t-junction in the corridor and I glanced back at Tammy. I nodded her forward and she came up to me. “Cover me to the left.” I whispered and she nodded. I crouched facing the right corridor as she pointed her gun left. I breathed deep a few times then launched myself into the corridor on my side. Tammy stepped forward a moment later and we both remained still. When nothing attacked us I stood and we changed places on some unspoken cue, Tammy shining her torch down the other hall.  
“Body.” She said softly and I turned back to the uniforms.  
“Cover our backs.” I said to them and moved up beside her. “I’ll go forward, you cover me.” She nodded slightly and I edged forward, gun trained on the body before me. From the shape it was male. Jean clad legs were nearest me with sneakers that were old and tatty; well loved. The back was shredded and soaked with blood, ribs showing through ripped cloth and flesh. I crouched beside the body but it was too dark to make out any features. “Tammy, I need light up here.” She moved the pool of yellow to the back of the head. The hair was matted with blood and rested on its side. A quick glance showed it wasn’t Larry and I let out a breath I hadn’t realised I was holding. A quick check showed no pulse, not that I’d expected to find one.  
I stood again and waved them down the corridor after me.  
We came to two doors opposite one another. One of them stood ajar with the streak of a bloody handprint. As Tammy moved up beside me I kicked the door, slamming it back against the wall. The sound echoed in the silence then it descended again like a blanket of noiselessness. Someone was here. I could hear them breathing. I stepped into the room and Tammy’s light scanned it over my shoulder. There was a form huddled in a corner, its back rising and falling heavily. It wasn’t a vamp, whoever it was, but it wasn’t Larry either.  
I stepped into the chaos of the room, furniture and books strewn all around. “Tammy.” I nodded towards the form and she and a uniform stepped forward. I realised it was a woman who sobbed as Tammy touched her but soon was eagerly leaving with two of the uniforms. Tammy moved back up just behind me and we moved forward slowly.   
There was a noise from another door ahead of us and we all jumped. I walked forward slowly, stepping over broken glass on the floor. The door was open wide and light bled slightly from a dim source. As I got closer I noticed a single bare bulb swinging a little casting strange shadows over the tatty bed and wardrobe. A low groan came from the far side of the bed and I stepped into the room. I knew Tammy was right behind me and the last two uniforms had our back but I still felt like the skin was trying to crawl off my bones. I looked over the edge of the bed to see Larry on his back trying to push himself to sitting. He had a cut above one of his eyes and a nice bruise blossoming on his jaw but other than that seemed okay. Thought I’d better check though. He glanced up at me and smiled slightly then flinched as his jaw tightened.  
“You okay?” I murmured crouching in front of him and offering him my right arm to pull himself up on.  
“Yeah. It’s still here. Somewhere.”  
“I know.” I glanced up to see Tammy with her torch and gun pointed down, an expression of relief on her face. Larry and I stood as one. “No happy reunion yet, guys. We get Larry out then I find this thing and kill it.”  
As if on cue I heard the screams from the uniforms in the main room and ran past Tammy before she even reacted. One of the officers was down with a vamp pinning him against a cabinet, his partner pointing his gun at them but not daring to fire. I pushed past him, gun level and beaned the vamp on the side of the head with my cast. Tammy’s light fell on him as he turned bloodied teeth towards me in a snarl that wasn’t even remotely human. He made to jump at me but I pulled the trigger and the bullet entered his forehead at point blank range, the back of his head exploding in a spray of grey matter. It never ceased to amaze me how little blood is contained in the brain. The body seemed to hover there for a moment as if unsure which way to fall; until I pushed it over and out of the way. I ducked quickly beside the downed officer.  
“Tammy, light.” I’d been working completely on dark vision until now. The torchlight showed his throat was gone, not even a pulse left to take. The officers standing behind made a strangled sound and then started throwing up. We were going to need someone to clean up down here.  
We all moved to the crisp, cold darkness of the street from the warm, sickly, death-smelling darkness of the building.  
“It was just one right?” I looked at Larry who was sitting in the passenger seat of Tammy’s car. Nathaniel was sitting in my jeep still, watching me carefully.  
“It’s all I saw.” He nodded.  
“What did you go after him with?”  
“Stake and hammer.” He smiled sheepishly.  
I shook my head. “Godammit Larry, you could have been killed. Use your fucking gun next time.”  
“You know I don’t like to.”  
“When they’re laying in the morgue is one thing, but when they can jump you? Choose the firearm every time, Larry. Haven’t you learnt anything?”  
“I’m still alive aren’t I?”  
“Not if you keep this up.” I shook my head again. “Next time pull your gun or don’t go. Call me.”  
“You were busy, supposedly finding a way of curing this.” He pointed at the sky.  
“Yeah and thanks to your naïveté my fiancé and his friends are going in looking for the source right now without me.”  
“Did you say fiancé?” He smiled at me.  
“No.” I said quickly.  
“I told you she was engaged.” Said Tammy from the other side of the car. “You just wouldn’t believe me.”  
“Congrats! When did this happen?”  
“Last night.” I said rolling my eyes.  
“I thought it was months ago.” Tammy frowned.  
“No you all assumed because I was wearing a ring it was months ago. This is an eternity ring, not an engagement ring.” I held up my hand.  
“So where’s the engagement ring?” Larry asked with a grin.  
“I haven’t got it yet. My acceptance was rather sudden.”  
“Which one is it? Jean Claude?”  
“I have to go. Tell Dolph to call me if he needs me.” I started to walk away.  
“It’s Rhys, right?”  
“Bye Larry, Tammy.”  
“Merry Christmas, Anita.”  
“Same to you.”  
I got in the car and Nathaniel started the engine and drove away without a word.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhys needs a shower (so does most everyone else); Genevieve shows her hand and Anita calls her bluff.

When Nathaniel and I got back to the house where we’d left everyone else I was surprised to find everyone except Kaie outside, seemingly coughing and teary eyed.  
“What the hell happened?” I asked moving to where Rhys was sitting on the sill of the minivan breathing heavily.  
“Magical trap.” He breathed. His voice sounded wheezy as though he needed to have a good cough.  
“What kind of trap?”  
“The kind that sets gas off at all the entrances if anyone goes in by force.” Galen said between coughs.  
I realised I could taste a small amount of pepper in the air and as I tasted it I felt my eyes starting to tear up. Damn these lycanthropic tendencies. Nathaniel started to cough slightly beside me and I turned quickly away from the group and pushed him back several meters.  
“We’re picking it up off you guys. You need to change clothes and have showers.” I said wiping at my eyes.  
“As soon as Merry, Rhys or Galen can see to drive we’ll go.” Doyle said.  
“And don’t take it home.” I looked pointedly at Rhys. “Cherry and Zane are there, it’ll drive them nuts.”  
“So what am I meant to do for clothes?”  
I sighed frustratedly. “Okay, I’ll call Cherry and get her to put some clothes in your car then you can go with Merry and get changed at the hotel. You bring this stuff any closer to any lycanthropes than this and we’ll do more than choke.”  
“Alright.” He groaned. “Call Cherry. In the meantime what are you going to do?”  
“Where’s Kaie?”  
“Still inside. He doesn’t have to breathe.” His eyes widened. “I am not leaving you with him with only Nathaniel for back up.”  
“You don’t have much choice. Anyway he’s not going to be able to come near me. He’ll have this stuff on his clothes too.”  
“So if he gets too close you and Nathaniel will be helpless.” He shook his head. “I don’t think so.”  
As though on cue Kaie came out of the front door of the house and towards us. “There is an interesting development.” He said coming towards me. Nathaniel and I backed up a little but Kaie didn’t get any further; Rhys and Galen both drew their swords and crossed them in front of him barring his way. “I said I would not harm her.” He glanced between them.  
“It’s not that. Nathaniel and I can smell the stuff on you. We’re…nasally sensitive. What development?”  
“The house has been rented by a vampire. A coffin lay inside the basement, which looked well lived in. The rest of the house looks as though it has not been lived in for sometime. The basement however also housed an altar and several ancient spell books.”  
“You mean we’re looking for a vampire who’s also a witch?” Merry asked.  
“It would appear that way.” he nodded.  
“Okay, you all need to go get showered and changed. Nathaniel and I will go back to the circus and fill in Jean Claude.”  
“There is one last thing.” Kaie added as Galen and Rhys reluctantly put up their swords. “I brought this out. Perhaps a magical trace could be performed on it.” He held out a small knife, sharp and ornate. He held it towards me hilt first. I took a breath and stepped forward, taking it from him quickly then stepping back beside Nathaniel.  
“Thanks I…” a familiar tingling ran through me and I knew this knife had been used in a sacrifice, perhaps a goat, certainly nothing as small as a chicken. I concentrated hard and found a trace of residual magic attached to it that seemed familiar yet new all at the same time. “It was used in a sacrifice.” I said softly. “Recently. I might be able to recognise the person now. I can taste their magic.” I was staring into space and knew my voice sounded distant. I shook my head slightly and looked back at Rhys. “Go get cleaned up. Nathaniel and I will wait for you at the circus.”  
I stared at the knife as Nathaniel drove. The hilt had a large ruby imbedded in the end with delicate carvings all over. The blade was good and sharp and steel. It wasn’t balanced for throwing but for slicing something’s throat or stabbing, it’d make a nice hole.  
The closer we got to the circus the more aware I was that the number of vamps increased. They all seemed to be going to the circus. Jean Claude’s Pied Piper impression was obviously working.  
Dolph called again on the way. There was another execution to be performed and Larry was still at the ER getting stitched up. I agreed to go immediately, but didn’t tell him I was telling Jean Claude what was going on first.  
We walked quickly down the stone steps towards Jean Claude’s rooms and entered through the open door. Jean Claude was sitting on the sofa with Asher behind him. Jason sat at his feet. Oh and Genevieve still sat in the chair opposite him. Guess we just couldn’t get rid of her. Jean Claude stood as I entered and came toward me quickly.  
“Ma petite, what news?”  
“We found the place but it was deserted.”  
“Where are the others?”  
“They’ve gone home to change. Long story.”  
“Well I’m quite sure we have time.” Genevieve’s voice floated over to us. “Why not tell us.”  
I glared at her. “Because I have to get back out on the streets. I have another execution to perform.”  
“Killing your master’s people is bad form most places.” She said.  
“Well I was the Executioner long before I got it together with Jean Claude.”  
“Your neck is a mess, ma petite.” He touched the wound gently as Jason and Asher came toward us.  
“I know. I really do have to go. I’ll come straight back and tell you everything once I’m done. If everyone turns up here just get them to wait, I won’t be long.” I walked back towards the door.  
“Ma petite, will you at least take Jason with you also? A little extra back up wouldn’t hurt.”  
“Whatever. Come on, Jason.”  
“Yes, boss.” He said grabbing his coat from the stand by the door. “So what’s the plan?” He asked as we got in the car.  
“Plan? I kill this vamp then we come back.”  
“Don’t you want us to help?” He looked disappointed.  
“Jason, look in the compartment under the floor well where you’re sitting.” He lifted it to reveal a hidden compartment. Inside was a shotgun Edward had bought for me along with a selection of ammo. “If there are no cops there I’m walking in with that shotgun and blowing the damn thing away.”  
“And if the cops are there?” he raised a cute blonde eyebrow at me.  
“Then you guys won’t be allowed on the scene anyway.”  
“Anita, if anything else happens to you today Jean Claude will kick my ass.”  
“Why?”  
“Because he can’t kick Rhys’ ass and he should have been watching you earlier like a hawk and I’m with you now so if anything happens I’ll get it in the neck, probably literally.”  
“Stop the car, Nathaniel.” He did. “Fine, Jason, I don’t want you hurt and you don’t want to get hurt. Get out of the car and go home to the circus.”  
“I didn’t say it for that, Anita. Just trying to get you to realise that we’re here to help, if you’ll let us.” He frowned.  
“Then stop bitching and take my orders. I’m still your Lupa you know.” I turned back round to face the front and Nathaniel started to drive again.  
We finished the ride in silence. I called Dolph again to make sure we had the right address, as there were no squad cars here… just as a vamp jumped out of the window of the store and landed on the hood of the jeep staring in at us. I hung up on Dolph and turned my body towards Jason, left arm reaching out to him. “Shotgun.” I said softly.  
“Anita, if you get out now she’ll jump you before you move.” Jason said.  
“I know. Nathaniel when I say so back up, fast, then stop.” I unbuckled my seatbelt. “Now!” Nathaniel punched it and we shot backwards, the vamp losing its footing and falling off the car. I flung the door open and jumped out as Nathaniel hit the brakes. It was difficult holding the shotgun left-handed and holding the barrel with my right. I knew my aim wasn’t going to be perfect but hopefully I’d be good enough for it not to matter too much. I nestled the gun against my shoulder and aimed as the snarling vamp-woman came at me. I fired first into her face, the silver shot making a real mess but taking out the brain. Once the body hit the ground I took out the heart. I sighed as I went back to the jeep, ears ringing. I called Dolph and told him he needed clean up crew and I was going to sort out the problem with the sky. He was grateful and said that the calls about insane vamps were slowing down; for once he was pleased with Jean Claude.  
I stood in the doorway of the jeep beside Jason making sure he put the shotgun in properly when a voice came suddenly from my right, towards the back of the car.  
“I didn’t think you were that good.” Genevieve walked forward wearing a long fur coat.  
“I thought you were hiding at the circus.” I slid my hand into my coat pocket where the Firestar was.  
“Not quite hiding.” She smiled showing fang and I knew it was deliberate. You don’t get to six hundred plus by flashing fang accidentally. “But I am curious as to what you found about the source of this magic.”  
“If you’ll go back to the circus I’ll tell you when I tell everyone else.”  
She stepped towards me until she was completely in the doorway so if I wanted to go anywhere it was either through the car or through her. “I would like to know now.”  
“I’m not giving up the information now.”  
“I have a proposition for you.” The change of subject surprised me and I blinked a few times before answering.  
“What proposition?”  
“I've heard all that has gone on today and know that you are truly not Jean Claude’s human servant. If you agree to my terms I won’t inform the council.”  
“You’re blackmailing me?” I felt my eyes widen as anger flared. Nathaniel slowly crawled through from the front of the car to the back seat beside Jason and touched my arm but I flinched away. I didn’t want calming.  
“Blackmail is such a dirty word.” She smiled. “I prefer to think of it as an incentive.”  
“I’m listening.”  
“You have been marked by this other vampire, this Kaie. I recommend you let him give you the fourth mark and free Jean Claude of you all together. You still have your Sidhe and the vampire marks, just a new master.”  
“And you get Jean Claude I suppose.”  
“Naturalment.”  
“There’s a gaping flaw in your logic you realise that? If I let Kaie give me the fourth mark the council will realise I was never truly Jean Claude’s human servant and they’ll send someone to punish him, perhaps even kill him.”  
“I doubt they will be too worried. They will be pleased Jean Claude’s triumvirate has ended and that he is not as powerful as he made out.”  
“You want to be Master of the City.”  
“Not quite.” She laughed. “Just to rule at his side.”  
“I can’t agree to that. I’m not with Jean Claude because of the marks. I’m with him because I love him.”  
“Surely you would let him go though. If it was to save his life you would separate yourself from him.” She seemed pretty sure of herself. I hoped to let the wind out of her sails.  
“No. I’d stay with him till the bitter end.”   
“That maybe sooner than you think.” She said reaching out to me with a snarl.  
I drew the Firestar. I was faster than a normal human because of the marks but my Nimir Ra status made me even faster. The gun was pointed at her as Jason started to growl and turned slowly towards us. I leant back as her fingertips tried to grab my throat and I felt a brush of magic from her. She seemed to register the gun as I pulled back the trigger and she moved quickly. She seemed to take a step backwards then was gone in a blurring of speed.  
I stood for a moment with my Firestar pointing at nothing then put it back in my pocket. “Time to go, guys.” It turned to look at the boys, both were prickling with lycanthropic energy and Jason’s eyes had bled to wolfish and he was blinking as though trying to take them back to crystal blue. Nathaniel crawled back through to the driver’s seat without needing to be asked again and I climbed in the passenger seat.  
“That magic wasn’t vamp magic was it?” Jason’s voice came huskily from the back.  
“No.” I said, realisation setting in. I took the knife from the ritual from the glove box and rolled it over my fingertips, feeling the magic with my own. It was the same. “She did it.” I murmured. “Genevieve put the spell up. She’s a practising witch as well as a vamp.” I glanced at Nathaniel “Get us to the circus as fast as you can.”  
I closed my eyes and reached out to Jean Claude. He was talking to Asher but stopped abruptly as I touched him.  
**“Ma petite?”**  
**“Yeah. Genevieve just threatened not only me but you too. If she gets there I suggest you lock her up. Take her for crimes against our people.”**  
**“I take it you will explain your reasoning when you arrive?”**  
**“Of course.”** I broke the contact and sat back in the seat praying we got there on time.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything goes pear shaped (which in English means goes completely, and utterly wrong).

I could hear rapid talking in French as I ran down the stairs with Jason and Nathaniel at my heels. Okay, maybe talking was too mild a word but shouting didn’t seem to cover it either. It seemed an impossible language to yell in although an easy one to bawl someone out in. I could hear Genevieve and Jean Claude going at it tooth and nail and it only made me want to traverse the stairs quicker.  
Jean Claude and Genevieve were stood very close together spitting remarks at each other. Asher stood just behind Genevieve, as though waiting for some cue from Jean Claude.  
“Asher, just stick her in a box.” I said as I walked through the door.   
She glared at me and her hand went to her chest covering the stone she wore there. “Do not dare to touch me, any of you.”  
“Or what? You’ll take the blackness out of the sky?”  
“You do not know of what you speak.” She hissed.  
“I think I do.” I raised an eyebrow and walked into the room further with Nathaniel and Jason at my back. I slid the knife from my pocket and held it up in front of me. “Recognise this?”  
“No.” She lied.  
I frowned and tutted, shaking my head. “Come now, Genevieve. Everyone in the room can smell you’re lying.”  
Her gaze travelled round the room and came to a stop on Nathaniel. “Kill her.” She whispered. I felt the line of power between them and understood then than leopards were her animal to call.   
“No.” Nathaniel whispered but I could feel he wasn’t strong enough to disobey her. I had to turn this around, I was his Nimir Ra and I hoped that meant I had enough power to counteract her order. There were few things Nathaniel understood, that called to him, violence wasn’t one of them so trying to knock it out of him wasn’t any good. But there was one thing he understood only too well, something he’d wanted from the beginning. I turned quickly, dropping the knife, and taking Nathaniel’s face in my hands I kissed him. I knew all Nathaniel ever wanted, or maybe desired was a better word, was a Top, which meant someone more dominant than him, to take charge. I’d done so in every way except sexually. Well now I pressed my lips hard against him, forcing his mouth open to allow my tongue entry, my body solid against his. I was rough but knew Nathaniel liked rough, that he understood it. He whimpered softly against my mouth as though all he’d ever wanted was for me to take the initiative with him. The link of the Pard flared between us and I felt his hands tentatively touch the tops of my arms as though wanting to hold me but not daring to without permission.  
“What are you doing? Kill her!” Genevieve yelled.  
I slowed the kiss to gentle caresses of my lips against his in a velvet softness then whispered; “You can touch me, Nathaniel.” He sighed and his arms wrapped round me, holding me close. “The leopards are mine, Genevieve.” I said turning in his arms to face her as he nuzzled against my hair and neck. “And no one, especially not you, is going to take them from me.”  
“The council will have you killed for trying to kill my human servant.” Jean Claude said as Asher stepped toward her.  
“Do not touch me,” she growled. “Or I will lift the blackness from the sky, killing all your people who remain outside.”  
That made Jean Claude and Asher freeze. I don’t think they’d put the two and two of it all together and it was a bit of a surprise. Her hand had remained at her throat the entire time, encompassing the stone at her throat.  
**“The stone is the key.”** I sent to Jean Claude. **“She’s holding it like she’s afraid it might break.”**  
**“Then we must relieve her of it, ma petite.”**  
I leant forward in Nathaniel’s arms and he took the hint, sliding his hands down my arms until we only touched where our bodies were one solid line, ready for whatever Jean Claude was going to try.  
But I still wasn’t ready. On some unspoken cue he and Asher laughed, a lethal combination at best but deliberately? I felt things tighten deep down inside me and my knees buckled. Genevieve mirrored me a moment later with a gasp. The laughter washed over me and I closed my eyes. I remembered Asher in bed beside me, a lazy smile on his lips although we had never been in such a situation; I remembered the first time Jean Claude and I were together in his hot tub, how raw my need was. I gritted my teeth against the sensation, the desire, and opened my eyes. At any other time I might have welcomed it but not when the lives of our people were at stake. I was on my knees and saw Genevieve pull at the chain holding the stone.  
My fingertips brushed the knife I’d dropped and I gripped it. I pushed towards her   
and everything seemed to drop to slow motion. I saw her hand tightening over the stone and heard the first crack. I shoved the knife through her wrist and she automatically dropped the stone, which I just caught in my right palm despite the cast. My fingers closed over it as she screamed in frustration and anger. I sensed her hand coming down towards me, the one with the knife through the wrist, and braced myself for the blow. But it never came. She continued to scream but it gradually turned to laughter, high pitched spurts that echoed in the high ceilinged room. I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see Jean Claude knelt beside me. He helped me to sit and I looked over at where Asher held Genevieve effortlessly by the upper arms. I opened my palm and glanced at the stone. A crack ran almost halfway round it, the smoke from inside slowly leaking out.  
“Your people above ground will be dead in moments. You should have taken my offer.” She laughed.  
“Can you call them back, mon ami?” Asher asked.  
Jean Claude closed his eyes, concentration creasing his brow. He sighed and opened his eyes again.  
“Jean Claude?” I asked.  
“I cannot call them fast enough. They are all close but…” he shook his head. “There are too many.”  
“So we increase your power.”  
“Ma petite?” he frowned at me.  
“Using the triumvirate.” We both turned and looked at Jason. Richard wasn’t here and he was the only member of the Lukoi present. We’d used him as a third before and it seemed to work.  
“Oh cool, I get to play.” He grinned.  
“We must work quickly.” Jean Claude said as we stood. “We have perhaps minutes until the sky is clear.”  
“Okay, what do we do?”  
“You, ma petite, kiss Jason.”  
“What?” I stared at him wide-eyed.  
“I am trying to do this quickly. It will be easier if you do not argue.”  
I sighed and rolled my eyes as I moved toward Jason.  
“I finally get to find out what all the fuss is about.” He smiled.  
“Just don’t go bragging about it to the rest of the pack; they’ll all want a turn.”   
“You’ll never save them all in time. It won’t work.” Genevieve said. Asher silenced her with a vicious backhand.  
I ignored her and glanced at Jean Claude as he walked round us. “What are you going to do?”  
“I will feed from Jason.”  
“Double whammy. Nice!” Jason’s smile broadened if that was possible.  
“Stop enjoying yourself and kiss me.” I frowned at him.  
He laughed and wrapped his arms around my waist pulling me against him. I put my arms round his neck but Jean Claude moved them back to rest against Jason's chest. Of course, he’d need access to Jason’s neck.  
Jason licked his lips as he glanced down at mine then back up to my eyes. Jason and I are exactly the same height meaning the curves of our body fit one another perfectly, intimately. He kissed me tentatively at first, as though I might break, then increased the kiss. I tried not to get too involved. Just a friendly kiss despite Jason’s insistence, until Jean Claude said; “Ma petite, please try and enjoy yourself. Think of the marks. Think of the Lukoi.” His breath brushed my fingertips on Jason’s shoulders and I breathed deep.  
I could smell Jason’s soap, his cologne and beneath that, the Lukoi. The smell of damp leaves and wood filled my senses and Jason felt the connection flare as I did, his tongue sliding into my mouth as he groaned low in his throat. I started to kiss him back and his arms tightened around me, holding me closer. I felt Jean Claude’s ice cool power wash over and through us making me shudder against Jason involuntarily. As Jean Claude bit down on Jason’s throat it was as though a switch was thrown between the three of us, binding us together by blood and sex and magic and I clenched Jason’s lapels, one handed at least. I felt the vamps, our vamps, in the street above and they sped up, each of them using whatever means possible to get within the circus as the blackness seeped away.   
I slowed the kiss with Jason as I felt the last of our vamps step inside and moved back from him slowly. His eyes had gone wolfish again and his grin was still in place.  
“No wonder you’re hot property.” He said softly and I felt a blush crawling up my neck.  
“Mon ami, I feel distinctly left out.” Asher said and we all laughed. Except Genevieve. She didn’t find it amusing for some reason. Our laughter was broken by a scream from above. Not heard, but felt. Jean Claude stepped towards the door but I caught his arm. “Not now you can’t.” I said. “Get Genevieve in a cross bound coffin then go lay down in case you drop dead when the blackness dissipates completely.” I rushed towards the door with Nathaniel and Jason right behind me.  
“Take care, ma petite.” I heard him call after us. As if I ever didn’t.  
I felt a sharp pain in my arms as we rounded the final corner and stumbled slightly. I shook my head and the pain went away.  
“Are you okay?” Nathaniel asked.  
“Fine.” I nodded. We reached the storage area at the top of the stairs to find the outer door open. As I stepped up to it I felt a wave of pain run over every inch of me as though something acidic had been poured on my flesh. I staggered and Jason caught me as my knees sagged.  
“I’m okay. I just feel like…” I glanced up to see Merry and Frost round the corner to the car park running at full tilt.  
“Anita!” Merry yelled and we started towards her. Despite the pain with Jason's help I managed to run. My legs gave again as I reached them, Frost catching me at the same time as Jason. I fought not to scream as the pain ate at my flesh. “What’s wrong?” She asked touching me gingerly.  
“I don’t know.” I took a few deep breaths and got my feet again. I concentrated for a few moments on my breathing then looked at her. “Where’s Rhys?”  
“He’s at the minivan. We were on our way here when, oh goddess it’s horrible, Anita.” She took my hand and pulled me toward the road. I glanced upwards to see the sky was lightening, the darkness receding as though pulled by some giant vacuum. We ran again and Frost explained as we went.  
“Rhys thought it best to take Kaie with us so we knew he was no where near you. However as we got near…”  
“He caught fire.” I gasped. I stopped dead in my tracks. I could see the minivan burning down the far end of the street with Rhys and the rest of the ravens trying in vain to put it out with fire extinguishers I assume they’d ‘borrowed’ from businesses nearby. “Get me back to Jean Claude.” I stepped back as the feeling of melting flesh ran through me. I did scream then and sank to my knees, curling up in as tight a ball as I could manage.  
Jason scooped me up in his arms and ran back to the circus. As a lycanthrope he was ridiculously strong and although not an alpha he was still incredibly fast. We were back at the circus in moments and I realised Nathaniel was running beside us.  
Jason went down the stone steps at break-neck speed and if I hadn’t been crying out with pain I’d have told him to slow down.  
“Jean Claude!” Jason yelled as he ran through the door. He was halfway across the lounge when Jean Claude appeared in the doorway that led to the many other rooms under the circus including his bedroom.  
“What’s wrong?” he was by our side in an instant, taking me from Jason.  
“Kaie’s dying.” Jason relayed.  
“And ma petite is feeling it.” He nodded. I screamed again as my skin burned like nothing before I’d ever felt. It seemed to be sinking through my skin into my muscles and deeper, as though even the bone was on fire.  
“Is she going to be okay?” I heard Nathaniel say as my eyes closed.  
“I may need your help.” Jean Claude said. “We will use her link to the Pard as well as the marks to keep her with us.”  
Although I registered all the words my body felt like it was turning liquid and melting away to nothing. I felt myself being laid on a bed and screamed as I was moved around. I think I was being undressed but my pain receptors shut down separating my body from my mind. I was aware I was crying, sobbing loudly but of little more. I heard Jean Claude speaking softly in French and moaned as my body was touched in various places at once.  
“Sleep now, ma petite.” Was the last thing I heard as another wave of pain coursed through me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kisses for Nathaniel! Kisses for Jason! And some other stuff happens...it's kinda important.


	22. Chapter 22

I was warm, so warm. And naked. So very naked. That woke me up. I tried to sit up but found myself held in place. I focused on my body trying to make sense of why I couldn’t move. I was laying on my side, sandwiched between two naked male bodies. My face was pressed into the one in front of me, the second body, a little shorter than the first, curved around behind me. Various arms were wrapped round me holding me in place. There was also a weight at my feet. I focused on the chest in front of me and spotted a cross shaped scar just below the nipple.  
“How are you feeling, ma petite?” Jean Claude asked softly.  
“Alright, I think.”  
“Good.” Came Rhys’ voice from behind me. He kissed my shoulder gently. I sighed and snuggled further into Jean Claude’s chest as Rhys ran his fingers up and down my arm. It felt so comfortable being held by them both. It felt right.   
“You had us worried.” Jean Claude kissed the top of my head.  
“What happened?” I tilted my head up to look at him. He was smiling slightly, almost wistfully.  
“You almost left us, but we used the marks and your connection with the Pard and lukoi to bring you back and when Rhys joined us, the circle was complete.  
“Yeah, I not only got to kiss but to sleep with you all in the same day.”  
I leant up on one elbow to see Jason and Nathaniel at our feet. “Thanks guys.” I smiled. I lay back down again in the circle of their arms. “What time is it?”  
Rhys rolled onto his back and picked his watch up from the bedside cabinet and I realised we were in Jean Claude’s room. “Almost midnight.” He yawned.  
“Christmas is nearly over.” I sighed. “So much for our perfect Christmas day.”  
“That’s okay. We moved it to tomorrow while you rested.” Rhys squeezed me slightly.  
“Is that okay with you, Nathaniel?” I asked without looking.  
“Sure.” He murmured lazily, stretching under the covers so his body rubbed against my feet.  
“I sent Merry to the hotel, told her to come to our place in the morning, about eleven.”  
“That’s fine.” I nodded stifling a yawn. “I’m still tired anyway.”  
“Then sleep some more, ma petite. You have the rest of the night.”  
I closed my eyes and sighed contentedly. I was asleep again in minutes.


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All is well...or is it?

When I woke up again Jean Claude was gone. Dawn had come while I slept and he was now tucked up in his coffin. I was lying on my other side now with my head rested on Rhys chest and Nathaniel snuggled behind me. Jason was still further down the bed, his arms wrapped around my legs in a tangle of limbs. I managed to wriggle myself free without waking anyone and padded quietly to the bathroom. I filled the bath with water and some of the stupidly expensive bubble bath Jean Claude owned and slid into the slightly too warm water. I’d just washed my hair when I realised the cast from my arm was gone. I did check the water just to make sure it hadn’t fallen off but no, it was gone and I felt fine.  
Rhys came through the door rubbing his blind eye and smiling at me. “Hey you.”  
“Hey.” I smiled back. “When did my arm get better?”  
“I think it was all the extra energy we had. That and you cracked the plaster when you hit all the bad guys with it.” He slid into the tub opposite me. “Lillian came out and checked it over. She said to go get it x-rayed but you should be fine.”  
“It feels alright.” I flexed it a couple of times and wriggled my fingers.  
“Let me see.” He held his hand out toward me. I took it and he pulled me against him through the sweet scented bubbles. “Oh yeah, you’re feeling better.” He murmured then brushed my lips softly with his own.  
“I’m not sure. I think I need a physical.” I said kissing across his cheek to his jaw.  
“I think I can manage that.” He ran his hands down my back to my thighs and lifted me to straddle him.  
His fingertips brushed gently along my thighs in the water and I moved so our bodies were pressed fully against one another. I blew gently into his ear then nibbled at his earlobe until he groaned. I smiled slightly to myself. I knew just what kind of effect that had on him. He moved his head pushing mine away from his ear and kissed a line down my throat to my collarbone using lips, tongue and teeth. He bit down hard and the junction of the two making me cry out. Normally it would be from delight but I still had one hell of a bruise there from earlier.  
I leant back from him slightly. “Go gentle on the injuries, Crom Cruach.”  
“Sorry, Executioner.” He raised an eyebrow and moved to kiss me.  
“Oh no, the collarbone’s just fine, you can finish what you started, just mind the bruises.”  
He smiled at me then moved his head to nuzzle at my neck. It was a gesture he’d picked up from Nathaniel but I thought it was cute on either of them. He moved gently down to my collarbone and nibbled the flesh softly bringing high keening sounds from me. He shifted me in his lap and he bit down hard on my collarbone, sucking gently at the flesh. I took in a shuddering breath that ended in a spine-tingling sigh. He moved his hands on my thighs and guided me until he rested at my opening. He held me there and moved back to look at me, a small smile playing on his lips. I pushed against his hands supporting me and slid the length of him inside me making me gasp and him groan.  
I moved slowly, nibbling along his bottom lip teasingly, not letting him kiss me. His hands moved to my buttocks and squeezed them making me arch my back and pull my teeth from his lip quickly. I tasted the metallic tang of blood and knew I’d torn the skin before I looked. He pulled me against him and I licked his lips softly gauging his reaction. Part of me was surprised at myself and a little horrified. I’d always put down the rule no bloodletting with both my men, although that wasn’t how Rhys got his jollies. Another part of me however, the part that linked me to the Pard, the Nimir Ra in me, wanted to taste it. Wanted to feed at his mouth, roll the taste of him over my tongue and more. I wanted to drink him down, his blood, his lust. The image was so strong I had to close my eyes.  
“Anita?” His voice was quiet, hoarse and I fluttered my eyelids open and looked first into his eye then at the blood drying on his lip. I made a small noise low in my throat and kissed him hard, so hard I felt the wound reopen and the noise I was making increased, to a hungry sounding purr. I felt Jean Claude awake although I knew it was still early and felt him whisper; ‘No.’ before rising quickly from his coffin.  
I ground my hips against Rhys making him groan into my mouth and I could taste his desire on my tongue as though it were a solid edible thing and I wanted to drink him down, not just through my mouth but through my entire body.  
That was enough to make me tear my mouth from his in surprise.  
“Anita, what’s wrong?” The look in his eye was enough to tell me he had felt what I’d felt, but as the prey not the hunter. I knew I was wide-eyed with at least a little fear and a lot of lust.  
“I don’t know.” I whispered and leant in to kiss him again, as though my will was not my own. He gripped the tops of my arms and held me back from him, preventing me from moving any closer.  
“Anita, are you in there?” He was frowning and I wanted to kiss away the small frown lines on his forehead. To have him inside me, unmoving and not feeding the urges I was feeling was like drowning.  
I shook my head. “I’m here, somewhere. What’s happening to me?”  
“I don’t know.” He looked closer at me. “It’s like you’re trying to…eat me, kind of.” He pulled a face knowing he’d said had made no sense and made perfect sense.  
“Just shut up and fuck me, Rhys.” I turned my arms quickly, breaking his hold on me easily and kissed him, kissed him so hard I felt our teeth through our lips and he made a small startled noise that only made me want him more. He was trying to talk against my mouth, trying to pull me from him but I wouldn’t let him. I moved just enough against him to bring a surprised gasp from him and he tore his lips from mine.  
“Anita, stop!” He yelled, holding me back. He lifted me off his lap and scooted across the tub away from me. “What the hell is wrong with you?”  
I shook my head again violently, but all I could taste was his blood on my tongue, all I could sense was him and his receding lust. This wasn’t what I wanted, what I needed. I craved to taste his lust, his passion, and to drink it down but all I was getting was fear…that wasn’t right…I loved Rhys, why was he scared? Why was I…heat tore through my skin as though I was being consumed by a hunger I feared to feed. I had to have him, no not him, his desire. Any desire. I moved slowly towards him in the water, as though stalking him like a big cat, my eyes focused on him, watching, waiting for him to move. He moved sooner than I thought he would, standing and climbing out of the tub and grabbing a towel to wrap round himself.  
“Anita…” he said almost warningly.  
“I need this, Rhys.” I said standing slowly and climbing out of the tub. My voice was a low growl, almost a purr, and sounded distant, as though someone else was using my voice.  
“Just stay there.” He said holding a hand up in front of him as though to warn me off and backed towards the door.  
I closed my eyes and shook my head, one sharp shake to either side. “What’s happening?” I said softly and sunk to the floor, knees up against my chest.  
“I don’t know.” He said quietly and stepped toward me.  
“It’s like I want to feed from you, but not blood.” I rested my head on my knees. A thought occurred to me. I knew Jean Claude not only fed from blood but lust, but that was a vamp trait and I was not a vamp.  
“Anita.” I realised Rhys had crouched beside me and glanced up at him. I knew I looked horrified and could feel tears stinging my eyes.  
“It’s strong, Rhys. I can’t resist it.” I murmured.  
“What is it?” He reached out as though to touch me but stopped just short.  
“Go, Rhys. Don’t stay. Get out.” I whispered.  
“I can’t just leave you like this.” He shook his head.  
“You have to!” I shouted and he jumped. “Go! Leave! Get out of here, Rhys! Now!”  
He stood and backed away quickly. “I don’t want to leave you.” He stared down at me.  
“Please, Rhys, just go!” My voice cracked as hot tears spilled over my cheeks.  
He walked to the door and as his hand fell on the handle it opened to reveal Jean Claude in his black fur trimmed robe. “Jean Claude, there’s something wrong.” Rhys said and I dropped my head back to my knees. Both of them there barely dressed…it was hard to breathe past the hunger.  
“I know.” Jean Claude said simply and I felt him slowly walk towards me.  
“You know?” Rhys asked, his voice holding surprise.  
“Oui.” Jean Claude crouched beside me and brushed his hand over my wet hair. “Ma petite?” I looked up at him, concentrating on his eyes, the black pupil, the bluer than blue iris. “I am very sorry, ma petite.”  
“You know what’s wrong don’t you?” Rhys said stepping closer. I could see his eyebrows knitted together in a frown.  
“I had no idea that healing her using the marks through Jason and myself would have this effect. I would not wish this on anyone, least of all Anita.” He was looking at me sadly.   
“What effect?” Rhys asked as I stared at Jean Claude.  
“The ardeur.”


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anita's first.  
> Smut. Much smut. Ardeur smut.

“The what?” Rhys asked taking another step closer but Jean Claude held up a hand to keep him back.  
“It is a long story I will explain shortly. In the meantime I need you to leave me alone with Anita.”  
“If there’s anything I can do…”  
“The best thing you can do, mon ami, is to leave us.” Jean Claude didn’t take his eyes off me as he spoke and the look in them was scaring me. What had he done to me?  
Rhys seemed about to argue but eventually stepped towards the door. “Yell if you need me.” And he was gone.  
“Ah, ma petite.” Jean Claude said sadly caressing my cheek. I leant into his hand and closed my eyes.  
“What’s happening?” I asked again.  
“Later, ma petite. First you must feed.” I opened my eyes to see him undoing the sash on his robe, revealing his pale flesh. I leant forward automatically, without realising, rolling onto my knees between his crouched legs and leaning against his naked torso, my arms wrapped around his back.  
“I’m scared.” I whispered.  
“I know, ma amore, I know. Feed and I will make it as easy for you as I can but know that I am truly sorry.”  
The hunger flowed through me like a hand, stroking inside me, drawing a soft moan from my throat that Jean Claude echoed seconds later. I pressed my lips to his chest and kissed softly to his throat, nipping across his pulse with a little teeth.  
“You must feed from my lust.” He said softly as I went up on my knees, causing him to rub against my stomach feeling him tightening and swelling against me but not completely. “Bask in it and drink it down.” His hands moved across my back gently, a butterfly’s touch and it wasn’t enough. “I will teach you control over time, but for now you must feed.” I ran my hands up his chest to cup his face and kissed his lips hard until I could feel his fangs pressed against my mouth. He sighed into my mouth and his hands slid to my upper thighs and he lifted me, wrapping my legs around him. In two steps he was over the side of the tub and our bodies slid into the warm bubbly water still locked together. He pulled his lips from mine gently and settled me against him.  
“Ma petite, I will not last long as I have not fed but any release will be enough to sate you. Do you understand?”  
“I think so.” I nodded. “I bring you, you feed me.” I said and moved my hips, feeling him almost against me, brushing me lightly in the water.  
“Then let us waste no more time, ma petite.” He smiled slightly although it was a sad smile and I couldn’t understand why. His hands on my hips pulled me down, impaling me on him and I gasped. He pushed me across the water until my back hit the opposite side, his hips pressing against me as he went as far inside me as he could get. We both gasped and he started moving inside me, his pelvic bone knocking against me with the force of his strokes making me groan with every one. I could feel the hunger drawing at him, pulling his desire into me as it grew with every thrust, tasting him, savouring him, relishing every moment.  
My skin burned with the need to drink him completely. He murmured to me in French but all I understood was I love you and I’m sorry, my French being limited to what I had picked up from him and Asher. I ached inside for release, both mine and his and already felt him swelling, his control giving up on him as he had not fed but neither had he slept enough to completely drain him.  
I kissed along his throat as I felt the first tingling that would become an orgasm pass through me and felt Jean Claude’s faint pulse below the surface. It was so faint, almost not there at all but I could sense the blood, almost taste it. I kissed the weak beat first, then ran my tongue over it as Jean Claude kissed the side of my head, his hands on my buttocks tightening with every stroke he made. I nipped at his skin lightly and he made a small noise of pleasure and I bit harder, pulling tendons and skin into my mouth, his desire driving me on.  
“Non, non, non, ma petite.” He stopped and pried me from his neck and held my face between his fingers. “No bloodletting, ma petite, your own rule.”  
I felt disappointed, cheated almost but he kissed me suddenly, pressing against me again and started thrusting quickly into me, his desire rushing over me as he neared the abyss, dragging me with him. I scratched nails across his shoulders leaving deep furrows and he cried out into my mouth, his control giving out as I fed on him, drank him down everywhere our bodies touched, his pubic bone pummelling my clitoris as my own control gave, drunk on the taste of him, the taste of his desire, the feel of his body, the sheer desperateness of it all.   
My cries joined his and I rolled my head back against the edge of the tub eyes closed as I fed and shuddered, control lost to us both in a wave of ecstasy. As his final shudders echoed my own we slid a little lower in the water and held each other, as we had a hundred times before but never like this.  
I’d fed on Jean Claude’s lust as surely as I’d feed on food or he blood. In fact that was wrong. I’d never craved food as I’d craved desire just now. It was like an itch I had to scratch and even that didn’t do it justice. Jean Claude fed on lust as well as blood, I knew that, and that was how I felt, like a vamp consumed by hunger, but not bloodlust, lust-lust. And I felt sick for it. I felt hot tears stinging my eyes and felt a shaking starting that had nothing to do with the orgasm I’d just had.  
“Ma petite.” Jean Claude leant back and withdrew from me, moving us around so I straddled him, his arms holding me close but not so close I couldn’t see his face.  
“What the fuck was that?” I whispered as the first tears spilled over my cheeks.  
He sighed then and tilted his head to one side, regarding me carefully, and I noticed the imprint of my teeth on his neck. Boy I really had gone for it. “It is the ardeur. It would appear that by using the marks through Jason to heal you not only has it cemented the marks but you have gained the one thing I would not even wish on our worst enemy.”  
“Which means what?” I said trying to control my desperately shaking bottom lip.  
“Which means I do not know, ma petite.” He looked at me sadly. “Your powers are unpredictable at the best of times. This may have only have been a one off, a single occasion following the power we called to save you or it may be permanent. I do not know.” He caressed my cheek and I closed my eyes as he wiped fresh tears from my face. “I am truly sorry, Anita. I truly, truly am.” I fell against him and sobbed and he held me, shushing and rocking me for the longest time until all my tears dried up.  
“We need to wash our hair.” I said pushing away from him and submerging enough to wet the top of my head.  
“Ma petite, this must be discussed properly. If it is truly the ardeur then you will need to feed regularly. It cannot be ignored.”  
“You said yourself it might be temporary.” I said reaching for the shampoo.  
“And if it is not?”   
“I’ll worry about it then.” I shrugged.  
“This cannot be taken lightly.” He said dunking his own head. “When the ardeur is upon you, you lose a degree of control. Feeding the hunger is all that matters.”  
“If it’s permanent, which I don’t think it is, I’ll control it.” I applied shampoo and handed him the bottle.  
“You cannot just control the ardeur.” He said giving me a wide-eyed look. “It must be tamed and fed regardless.”  
“Anything can be controlled.” I frowned lathering up my hair.  
“Anita, you almost gave yourself the fourth mark!” He said suddenly. “That is not control.” I glanced at his throat and then back to his face. He nodded once and slowly. “If you had broken the surface, if my blood had passed your lips, you would have been immortal, my human servant in truth finally and it would not have been my doing, however it also would not have been your will.”  
Part of me was horrified at how close I’d come and realised I had lost control to take that risk. Part of me was in denial; it couldn’t be that simple could it? Although I knew it was. The last part of me was amazed that Jean Claude had stopped me, knowing how desperately he had wanted me to take the last mark, and was proud of him too for preventing it. I’d always thought him a sneaky bastard and now I knew he was a sneaky bastard who loved me enough not to jeopardise us when he had the perfect chance to have what he’d always wanted and it not be his doing…although I knew, just as he probably did, I’d have found a way to blame him.  
“Thank you.” I murmured and started rinsing my hair.  
“Please, ma petite, consider for a moment. If you truly have the ardeur you will need to feed regularly, twice perhaps three times a day, until you get into a routine. In time you can learn to feed from a distance but for now you must choose who will help you through this.”  
I stopped rinsing and looked at him. “Can’t you do that?”  
He laughed, a sad sound that showed his years, that he had known too much sorrow. “Alas that I could, ma amore, but the ardeur may strike while I am in my coffin or unable to reach you.”  
“Rhys as well then.”  
“If he agrees.”  
“What do you mean, if he agrees?”  
“I mean he may not like the sensation of being fed from. Just as you do not offer blood, others do not offer lust so readily.”  
“But Rhys is my fiancé, he wouldn’t…would he?” I looked at Jean Claude in disbelief but he just shrugged his Gallic shrug.  
“It is not for everyone.”  
“So what are you suggesting?” I stared at him wide-eyed.  
“That you, ma petite, may have to choose some others to help you through the early days.”  
“I’m not fucking anyone else!” I yelled.  
Jean Claude shushed me. “You have little choice, ma petite. Until you have better control you will be at its beck and call, answering to the whim of the hunger. It is best to have several agreed partners who will allow you to feed than to suddenly find yourself in a room full of strangers who will possibly have you arrested if you feed from them.”  
I was shaking my head. “I can’t believe I’m hearing this.”  
“Just a select few who will be available to you during different times of the day. Even if Rhys agrees what if he is working? Or away at a trial? It is much better that you have other options and you never use them than have none and be stranded without.”  
“I suppose you have suggestions?” I said pouting at him as he passed me the conditioner.  
“I can propose some names.” He nodded.  
“Alright, who?”  
“Myself, Rhys if he will agree, Asher…”  
“Asher?”  
“He understands the ardeur, ma petite. He is a logical choice and will also help you with control.”  
“Go on.” I said frowning at him. I wasn’t sure who I’d expected him to suggest but Asher hadn’t been it.  
“Jason or Nathaniel.”  
“Now I know you’re joking.” I said staring at him.  
“I would not joke about such a thing.” He said, face serious. “Jason does not mind feeding regardless, he considers it an honour. He is the next logical choice.”  
“But Nathaniel? Jean Claude, it’d be like child abuse.”  
“Feeding the ardeur does not have to be sex. As your control gets better just someone else’s desire will be enough but you will be a long way from that stage. If you truly do not want to sleep with Nathaniel that is the other option.”  
“I don’t want to sleep with any of them.” I pouted as I rinsed the conditioner.  
“There are a few others I would suggest also but only as last resorts.”  
“Like who?” I frowned.  
“Damian, although perhaps your control over him is too great already.” I nodded. “Perhaps Galen…”  
“Galen!” I yelled.  
“Oui, Galen. He has expressed an attraction to you and if Merry would agree…”  
“I’m not asking Merry if I can fuck one of her guards, I mean another of her guards, just because you’ve given me some weird vamp STD.”  
“You asked for suggestions and I have given you them.” He shrugged. “I strongly recommend however if the ardeur strikes and neither Rhys or I are available you seek out whomever you feel most comfortable with that agrees.”  
“I will not be a slave to it.”  
“No, ma petite, in the early days, you will. There is nothing you or I can do about it apart from work through it until you gain better control.”  
I put my hands over my face and screamed into them. “I cannot believe this!”  
“I’m truly sorry, ma petite.” He rested a hand on my shoulder but didn’t make any move to be closer to me.  
I sighed. “Hey, you didn’t know this would happen, it’s not your fault.” I said sliding through the water into his arms.  
He sighed and wrapped his arms around me and I realised he’d been worried in case I’d blame him. “Perhaps we should go and speak with Rhys.” He said finally.  
“Yeah and I need a coffee.”   
“The what?” Rhys asked taking another step closer but Jean Claude held up a hand to keep him back.  
“It is a long story I will explain shortly. In the meantime I need you to leave me alone with Anita.”  
“If there’s anything I can do…”  
“The best thing you can do, mon ami, is to leave us.” Jean Claude didn’t take his eyes off me as he spoke and the look in them was scaring me. What had he done to me?  
Rhys seemed about to argue but eventually stepped towards the door. “Yell if you need me.” And he was gone.  
“Ah, ma petite.” Jean Claude said sadly caressing my cheek. I leant into his hand and closed my eyes.  
“What’s happening?” I asked again.  
“Later, ma petite. First you must feed.” I opened my eyes to see him undoing the sash on his robe, revealing his pale flesh. I leant forward automatically, without realising, rolling onto my knees between his crouched legs and leaning against his naked torso, my arms wrapped around his back.  
“I’m scared.” I whispered.  
“I know, ma amore, I know. Feed and I will make it as easy for you as I can but know that I am truly sorry.”  
The hunger flowed through me like a hand, stroking inside me, drawing a soft moan from my throat that Jean Claude echoed seconds later. I pressed my lips to his chest and kissed softly to his throat, nipping across his pulse with a little teeth.  
“You must feed from my lust.” He said softly as I went up on my knees, causing him to rub against my stomach feeling him tightening and swelling against me but not completely. “Bask in it and drink it down.” His hands moved across my back gently, a butterfly’s touch and it wasn’t enough. “I will teach you control over time, but for now you must feed.” I ran my hands up his chest to cup his face and kissed his lips hard until I could feel his fangs pressed against my mouth. He sighed into my mouth and his hands slid to my upper thighs and he lifted me, wrapping my legs around him. In two steps he was over the side of the tub and our bodies slid into the warm bubbly water still locked together. He pulled his lips from mine gently and settled me against him.  
“Ma petite, I will not last long as I have not fed but any release will be enough to sate you. Do you understand?”  
“I think so.” I nodded. “I bring you, you feed me.” I said and moved my hips, feeling him almost against me, brushing me lightly in the water.  
“Then let us waste no more time, ma petite.” He smiled slightly although it was a sad smile and I couldn’t understand why. His hands on my hips pulled me down, impaling me on him and I gasped. He pushed me across the water until my back hit the opposite side, his hips pressing against me as he went as far inside me as he could get. We both gasped and he started moving inside me, his pelvic bone knocking against me with the force of his strokes making me groan with every one. I could feel the hunger drawing at him, pulling his desire into me as it grew with every thrust, tasting him, savouring him, relishing every moment.  
My skin burned with the need to drink him completely. He murmured to me in French but all I understood was I love you and I’m sorry, my French being limited to what I had picked up from him and Asher. I ached inside for release, both mine and his and already felt him swelling, his control giving up on him as he had not fed but neither had he slept enough to completely drain him.  
I kissed along his throat as I felt the first tingling that would become an orgasm pass through me and felt Jean Claude’s faint pulse below the surface. It was so faint, almost not there at all but I could sense the blood, almost taste it. I kissed the weak beat first, then ran my tongue over it as Jean Claude kissed the side of my head, his hands on my buttocks tightening with every stroke he made. I nipped at his skin lightly and he made a small noise of pleasure and I bit harder, pulling tendons and skin into my mouth, his desire driving me on.  
“Non, non, non, ma petite.” He stopped and pried me from his neck and held my face between his fingers. “No bloodletting, ma petite, your own rule.”  
I felt disappointed, cheated almost but he kissed me suddenly, pressing against me again and started thrusting quickly into me, his desire rushing over me as he neared the abyss, dragging me with him. I scratched nails across his shoulders leaving deep furrows and he cried out into my mouth, his control giving out as I fed on him, drank him down everywhere our bodies touched, his pubic bone pummelling my clitoris as my own control gave, drunk on the taste of him, the taste of his desire, the feel of his body, the sheer desperateness of it all.   
My cries joined his and I rolled my head back against the edge of the tub eyes closed as I fed and shuddered, control lost to us both in a wave of ecstasy. As his final shudders echoed my own we slid a little lower in the water and held each other, as we had a hundred times before but never like this.  
I’d fed on Jean Claude’s lust as surely as I’d feed on food or he blood. In fact that was wrong. I’d never craved food as I’d craved desire just now. It was like an itch I had to scratch and even that didn’t do it justice. Jean Claude fed on lust as well as blood, I knew that, and that was how I felt, like a vamp consumed by hunger, but not bloodlust, lust-lust. And I felt sick for it. I felt hot tears stinging my eyes and felt a shaking starting that had nothing to do with the orgasm I’d just had.  
“Ma petite.” Jean Claude leant back and withdrew from me, moving us around so I straddled him, his arms holding me close but not so close I couldn’t see his face.  
“What the fuck was that?” I whispered as the first tears spilled over my cheeks.  
He sighed then and tilted his head to one side, regarding me carefully, and I noticed the imprint of my teeth on his neck. Boy I really had gone for it. “It is the ardeur. It would appear that by using the marks through Jason to heal you not only has it cemented the marks but you have gained the one thing I would not even wish on our worst enemy.”  
“Which means what?” I said trying to control my desperately shaking bottom lip.  
“Which means I do not know, ma petite.” He looked at me sadly. “Your powers are unpredictable at the best of times. This may have only have been a one off, a single occasion following the power we called to save you or it may be permanent. I do not know.” He caressed my cheek and I closed my eyes as he wiped fresh tears from my face. “I am truly sorry, Anita. I truly, truly am.” I fell against him and sobbed and he held me, shushing and rocking me for the longest time until all my tears dried up.  
“We need to wash our hair.” I said pushing away from him and submerging enough to wet the top of my head.  
“Ma petite, this must be discussed properly. If it is truly the ardeur then you will need to feed regularly. It cannot be ignored.”  
“You said yourself it might be temporary.” I said reaching for the shampoo.  
“And if it is not?”   
“I’ll worry about it then.” I shrugged.  
“This cannot be taken lightly.” He said dunking his own head. “When the ardeur is upon you, you lose a degree of control. Feeding the hunger is all that matters.”  
“If it’s permanent, which I don’t think it is, I’ll control it.” I applied shampoo and handed him the bottle.  
“You cannot just control the ardeur.” He said giving me a wide-eyed look. “It must be tamed and fed regardless.”  
“Anything can be controlled.” I frowned lathering up my hair.  
“Anita, you almost gave yourself the fourth mark!” He said suddenly. “That is not control.” I glanced at his throat and then back to his face. He nodded once and slowly. “If you had broken the surface, if my blood had passed your lips, you would have been immortal, my human servant in truth finally and it would not have been my doing, however it also would not have been your will.”  
Part of me was horrified at how close I’d come and realised I had lost control to take that risk. Part of me was in denial; it couldn’t be that simple could it? Although I knew it was. The last part of me was amazed that Jean Claude had stopped me, knowing how desperately he had wanted me to take the last mark, and was proud of him too for preventing it. I’d always thought him a sneaky bastard and now I knew he was a sneaky bastard who loved me enough not to jeopardise us when he had the perfect chance to have what he’d always wanted and it not be his doing…although I knew, just as he probably did, I’d have found a way to blame him.  
“Thank you.” I murmured and started rinsing my hair.  
“Please, ma petite, consider for a moment. If you truly have the ardeur you will need to feed regularly, twice perhaps three times a day, until you get into a routine. In time you can learn to feed from a distance but for now you must choose who will help you through this.”  
I stopped rinsing and looked at him. “Can’t you do that?”  
He laughed, a sad sound that showed his years, that he had known too much sorrow. “Alas that I could, ma amore, but the ardeur may strike while I am in my coffin or unable to reach you.”  
“Rhys as well then.”  
“If he agrees.”  
“What do you mean, if he agrees?”  
“I mean he may not like the sensation of being fed from. Just as you do not offer blood, others do not offer lust so readily.”  
“But Rhys is my fiancé, he wouldn’t…would he?” I looked at Jean Claude in disbelief but he just shrugged his Gallic shrug.  
“It is not for everyone.”  
“So what are you suggesting?” I stared at him wide-eyed.  
“That you, ma petite, may have to choose some others to help you through the early days.”  
“I’m not fucking anyone else!” I yelled.  
Jean Claude shushed me. “You have little choice, ma petite. Until you have better control you will be at its beck and call, answering to the whim of the hunger. It is best to have several agreed partners who will allow you to feed than to suddenly find yourself in a room full of strangers who will possibly have you arrested if you feed from them.”  
I was shaking my head. “I can’t believe I’m hearing this.”  
“Just a select few who will be available to you during different times of the day. Even if Rhys agrees what if he is working? Or away at a trial? It is much better that you have other options and you never use them than have none and be stranded without.”  
“I suppose you have suggestions?” I said pouting at him as he passed me the conditioner.  
“I can propose some names.” He nodded.  
“Alright, who?”  
“Myself, Rhys if he will agree, Asher…”  
“Asher?”  
“He understands the ardeur, ma petite. He is a logical choice and will also help you with control.”  
“Go on.” I said frowning at him. I wasn’t sure who I’d expected him to suggest but Asher hadn’t been it.  
“Jason or Nathaniel.”  
“Now I know you’re joking.” I said staring at him.  
“I would not joke about such a thing.” He said, face serious. “Jason does not mind feeding regardless, he considers it an honour. He is the next logical choice.”  
“But Nathaniel? Jean Claude, it’d be like child abuse.”  
“Feeding the ardeur does not have to be sex. As your control gets better just someone else’s desire will be enough but you will be a long way from that stage. If you truly do not want to sleep with Nathaniel that is the other option.”  
“I don’t want to sleep with any of them.” I pouted as I rinsed the conditioner.  
“There are a few others I would suggest also but only as last resorts.”  
“Like who?” I frowned.  
“Damian, although perhaps your control over him is too great already.” I nodded. “Perhaps Galen…”  
“Galen!” I yelled.  
“Oui, Galen. He has expressed an attraction to you and if Merry would agree…”  
“I’m not asking Merry if I can fuck one of her guards, I mean another of her guards, just because you’ve given me some weird vamp STD.”  
“You asked for suggestions and I have given you them.” He shrugged. “I strongly recommend however if the ardeur strikes and neither Rhys or I are available you seek out whomever you feel most comfortable with that agrees.”  
“I will not be a slave to it.”  
“No, ma petite, in the early days, you will. There is nothing you or I can do about it apart from work through it until you gain better control.”  
I put my hands over my face and screamed into them. “I cannot believe this!”  
“I’m truly sorry, ma petite.” He rested a hand on my shoulder but didn’t make any move to be closer to me.  
I sighed. “Hey, you didn’t know this would happen, it’s not your fault.” I said sliding through the water into his arms.  
He sighed and wrapped his arms around me and I realised he’d been worried in case I’d blame him. “Perhaps we should go and speak with Rhys.” He said finally.  
“Yeah and I need a coffee.”


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stubbornness and confusion abound.

Rhys freaked. Then calmed down. Then freaked again. We told him in private so just Jean Claude and I were privileged to his outbursts.  
“So you’re telling me that because both you and Jason used the marks to heal Anita you’ve turned her into an incubus?” he was pacing in front of us. I was dressed and gunned up; Jean Claude was still in his robe and Rhys just in his towel.  
“Actually the correct term is succubus as she is female.” Jean Claude said standing to stop Rhys walking.  
“And until she’s got it under control she’ll what?” Rhys stopped and looked up at Jean Claude.  
“She will need to feed on lust regularly. She will need to do so from now on regardless, providing the ardeur is permanent but she will learn to do so over a distance.”  
“And until she does?”  
“She will need to feed physically.”  
“And that means?” Rhys was deliberately asking careful questions, getting all the answers without jumping to conclusions. Gee he was a good PI.  
“It means in one physical way or another she must be fed.” Jean Claude said frustratedly.  
“Why do I get the feeling that you’re not just telling me Anita will need to have sex more?”  
“Because it is not that simple.”  
“It never is.” Rhys said flopping into the chair opposite where I sat on the sofa in Jean Claude’s living room. I hadn’t spoken and thought that may have been for the best. I didn’t know what the hell was going on anyway.  
Jean Claude crouched before Rhys and rested a hand over his. “Anita will need to feed on lust, physically at first but over time she will learn control and be able to do so from a distance. Until that time the hunger will come at random and she will find it very difficult to control. She will need to have a regular supply of…food.”  
“So you or I have to be on hand twenty-four-seven.” Rhys nodded.  
“I am sorry, mon ami, it is just not that simple.” Jean Claude said again.  
“What he means is that the two of you can’t be there twenty-four-seven.” I said pulling my knees up to my chest. “So you have until after the Christmas break to teach me how to feed from a distance.” I stared pointedly at Jean Claude.  
“I do not think I can do so in such a short space of time.” He said looking at me in disbelief.  
“Well you’d better try.”  
He stood and sighed in frustration again. “You cannot control it like you have the other aspects of the marks, you cannot put up shielding to protect you and you cannot dictate in the early days when or where it will strike. You are lucky that you have the Christmas break to try and get some sort of schedule organised. Most do not have such a luxury.”  
“Yeah but most are dead and don’t have to go to work.” I pouted.   
“I will teach you all I can, ma petite.” He sighed, crouching before me. “If the ardeur is indeed permanent then we will ride it together.” He held out a hand to Rhys who scooted forward in his seat and took the hand offered. “The three of us, if Rhys is comfortable with the feeding.”  
“I’ll learn.” He smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes. I knew how he felt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, an extra chapter today as there were two super short chapters, and also we are coming slowly to an end, which means I still have to put up the ALTERNATE ENDING! I will put a note where you need to read on from, but it shouldn't be too hard to spot, plus the aftermath of both alternate parts kind of sync back up again, it's just, well you'll see!


	26. Chapter 26

Jason and Nathaniel got the pep talk next. Explaining the ardeur and that there may be the need for me to feed on one or both of them at some point. Neither of them exactly seemed disappointed.   
Rhys had gone to get showered and left Jean Claude and I alone with the boys. He seemed to be having a hard time with the idea that I was possibly going to have to sleep with other people and even if he protested there was nothing we could do about it. I felt bad for that. Rhys and I had just got engaged. This was not the kind of thing that happened at the beginning of an engagement…then again at the beginning of my engagement to Richard he’d changed on top of me and I’d seen him eat someone. Guess I should have expected something like this really.  
I didn’t want to accept that I had the ardeur permanently but a little part of me knew it was there, lurking in the background, making me look at things differently. I was looking at Jean Claude differently right now. I’d always known he was gorgeous, even when I’d resisted him I’d known he was. Then he’d hit my guy radar and he’d filled my senses, attraction being an understatement. Then we’d had sex and it’d got worse, or better. Definitely better. But now? Now I was looking at him, fascinated by his every move. The way his robe moved over his cute little ass, the small glimpses of pale flesh, his hair blending almost perfectly with the fur of the collar. I closed my eyes and shook my head. He’d always held my attention, held the attention of everyone in the room but now, now it was like he was the flame and I was the moth. Trouble was I wanted to get burnt. I glanced at my watch. It was almost ten am. I stood.  
“Guys, we have to get to my place if Merry is coming over at eleven.”  
Nathaniel came over and looked at my watch. “Hell I still have loads to do. Give me two secs.” He ran to the corridor leading to the bedroom.   
“Guess I ought to get dressed too.” Jason said with a half smile. He walked past me and I watched, heaven help me I watched. He was wearing a pair of dark blue silk boxers that slid against his skin as he moved. I bit my bottom lip and closed my eyes for a moment. When I reopened them Jason was smiling over his shoulder at me. “About time you noticed me.” he grinned and went on through to his room.   
I put my hands over my eyes and groaned. Jean Claude placed his hand on my shoulder. “You must warn Merry and the guards, and the rest of the Pard.” He said softly.  
“I’ve got it don’t I? It’s permanent.”  
“It looks that way, ma petite, oui.”  
“Great.” I said shaking my head.


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhys gives Anita her belated yule gift.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh go on, just one more chapter! As it's the weekend and all that!

The Pard were already at my place. All of the Pard. Cherry, Zane, Gregory and Vivian, and because Vivian was there so was Stephen. Nathaniel hit the kitchen at a run throwing his coat on the stairs and immediately going to the refrigerator.  
“Merry Christmas, guys.” I smiled. They were all sitting in the lounge talking with the stereo playing Christmas songs quietly in the background. Rhys took my coat from me and kissed my cheek then moved to the closet to hang them.  
“Anita, you’re out of plaster.” Cherry said with a smile as she walked towards me. Everyone else moved towards me on all fours, except Stephen who just smiled at me. He was lukoi and they didn’t, and had never, abased themselves like the Pard did. Jason went to him and spoke to him softly and they both went through to the kitchen.  
“Yep. All healed and new.”  
“A miracle?” She raised an eyebrow.  
“Nah, just a hell of a lot of magic.” I grinned and hugged her. The rest of the Pard were rubbing around my legs and as I released Cherry I bent my knees and they all gave me space. I sat amongst them as they rubbed and licked and pawed me. “Guys, we need to talk.”  
They took it pretty well, but then I was their Nimir Ra and what I say, goes to a certain extent.  
“Do you mean you’re going to be looking for…donations?” Gregory raised an eyebrow at me.  
“No.” I shook my head. “I’m trying to keep the body count down. Just that things might get a little weird for a while.”  
“We’ll be here if you need us though.” Zane grinned.  
“I just bet you will.” I smiled slightly. “But you can do something for me.”  
“What?” he grinned wider, showing his upper and lower fangs.  
“Go get Rhys’ present down from upstairs.” He got up with a small dramatic groan.  
“Right now though we need to see if Nathaniel needs any help. We have a Christmas dinner to put on.”  
Nathaniel threw us all out of the kitchen three minutes later, saying we were all getting underfoot and would only slow things down. Well I wasn’t going to argue; I was as much good in the kitchen as a throwing knife at a shooting range.  
“Okay, someone invade Nathaniel’s space long enough to put coffee on while I go get changed.”  
Everyone was dressed up, not overly so but quite smart and Rhys and I were in our jeans and t-shirts from yesterday. In fact no, the day before yesterday. Apart from my borrowed tunic of course and I’d be glad to see the back of it, and Nathaniel’s all out fey outfit.  
I dragged Rhys upstairs with me, shutting the bedroom door and leaning against it.  
“You sure you’re okay?” I said as he moved to the closet.  
“About the ardeur?” he said looking at me. “I’m not sure, if I’m honest.”  
“Me neither.”  
“It felt…I could feel nothing but you, I wanted to take you right there and then, none of the niceties…I mean I wanted you anyway,” he said defensively, “but I wanted you more than…no I needed you more than I’d ever felt. Scared the hell out of me.” He smiled apologetically.  
“Scared me too.” I smiled softly and sat down on the bed taking off my Nikes.  
“I’ll help you through it, Anita. We’ll tame it together.” He slid onto the bed behind me and sat with his legs either side of mine, holding me too him.  
“I’m glad you’re here for me, Rhys. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” I leant back against him. “Actually I think I do and that scares me as much as the ardeur does.”   
He kissed my neck softly. “Want one of your Christmas presents?” He whispered.  
“We’re doing that when Merry's here, remember?”  
“I didn’t wrap this one.” He rolled backwards off the bed and I shook my head.  
“You’re a big kid you realise that?” I stood and unbuttoned my jeans. I’d bought some black velvet jeans for today, something a bit more special than usual denim but comfortable nonetheless, and a scarlet short sleeved silk shirt that had actually reminded me of Jean Claude when I saw it. I couldn’t remember the last time I bought some clothes without first considering what the boys would think.  
“Here we go.” He said walking back round the bed towards me as I pulled the tunic up over my head. When I could see again Rhys was knelt on one knee beside me with a big grin on him face.  
“You’re an idiot.” I said smiling at him.  
“I like to think hopeless romantic.” His smile broadened if that was possible and he took my left hand in his right. “Anita Katherine Blake…”  
“You don’t have to do this Rhys, I’ve already accepted.”  
“Shut up.” He said and tugged on my hand, making me sit on the bed. “Anita Katherine Blake,” he started over. “Vampire executioner, necromancer, Nimir Ra of the Blooddrinkers clan, possibly still Lupa of the Thronnos Rokke clan, human servant of the vampire Jean Claude, will you be my fiancée?”  
I laughed out loud. “No, ‘will you marry me’?”  
“If I thought you’d agree to marry me I’d ask if you’d agree to marry me, I know you’ll accept the request to be my fiancée.”  
“That’s true.” I raised an eyebrow. “Yes, Rhys, Crom Cruach of the Unseelie court, Raven, PI, I will be your fiancée.”  
He opened his free hand to reveal a ring, a simple gold band with a small diamond set as flat to it as possible without it being part of the band. He slid it onto my finger beside the eternity ring. It was a perfect fit. He stood quickly as I stared at the ring and pushed me back onto the bed, lying on top of me.  
“You’re stuck with me now.” He grinned.  
“Like I’d have it any other way.” I smiled. He leant towards me and I knew he meant to kiss me and I stilled, waiting for his touch.  
“Anita, Rhys?” There was a knock at the door. It was Merry. I dropped my head back against the bed with a small, frustrated noise as Rhys dropped his head onto my collarbone.  
“We’re just getting changed.” I called. “Be out in a sec.”  
“Alright.” Came the reply and I sensed her moving back down the stairs.  
“Your princess has lousy timing.” I scowled.  
“Well as long as I get to be the next to feed the ardeur.”  
“I’ll put you on the dance card.” I smiled. “The ring’s beautiful by the way.”  
“You’re welcome.” He said placing a soft kiss on my forehead. “Guess we’d better get dressed.”  
“Yeah.” I sighed. “Merry Christmas, Rhys.”  
“Happy Yule, Anita.


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christmas resumes!

The present opening took place half an hour later when Nathaniel had finally finished all he could do without actually laying out the food. There was almost every gift imaginable changing hands, clothes, jewellery, books, DVD’s, novelty items, Zane bought Cherry a PVC nurses uniform which made us all laugh. I opened the present from Merry to find a pair of large fluffy leopards, one black, one spotted.  
“More for the Pard, great.” I smiled at her. “Bet these two don’t eat as much.”  
“Hey!” Zane said from his position on the floor beside me. I was sitting between Rhys’ legs with the Pard surrounding me, the coffee table having been moved to the wall to make more room.  
“I thought it’d make a change from penguins.” Merry smiled.  
“Yeah you can never have too many stuffed toys, of any kind.” I hugged her. “Thanks.”  
“You’re welcome.” She was already wearing her blue sweater, having tried it on for size and not taken it off.  
“There’s only three presents left.” Said Nathaniel from his seat by the tree. “Not counting those for the vamps.” The Pard exchanged glances and smiles and I squinted at them.  
“What?” I asked.  
“The three presents left are for you and Rhys.” Nat smiled.  
“Okay.” I patted Rhys’ leg. “The big one against the wall is your main present from me.”  
“Really?” He raised an eyebrow and stood up and picked his way through the blizzard of Pard and wrapping paper. He was grinning like a big kid as we all sat and watched him opening the paper. Some people open wrapping paper carefully, undoing at the tape and folding it neatly, not Rhys, he tore into it like it was a time trial. Once all the paper was off he stood and stared at the coat in the frame. “No way.” I heard him murmur. He then crouched to read the card in the bottom giving the authenticity and description. “I don’t believe it.” He said quietly, shaking his head. He turned to look at me, his smile beaming. “Where did you find it?”  
“Merry Christmas.” I replied.  
“What is it?” Galen asked as Rhys strode towards me.  
“What is it?!” Rhys said as he pulled me to my feet. “It’s only the coat Bogart wore in Casablanca.” He lifted me off the floor in a hug. “Thank you.” He said kissing me hard.  
“Cool.” Said Galen and I was aware of most people moving across the room to look at it.  
“You really like it?” I asked as my feet touched the ground again.  
“I love it.” he grinned. “I can’t believe you found it.” He kissed me softly again. “Thank you so much.”  
“You’re welcome.” I smiled back; it made me smile to see him so happy.  
“Still two more presents.” Zane said.  
“Sorry.” We said moving back to sit down.  
“Here.” Nathaniel said passing one present to Zane and then another. “The first one is for Rhys from the Pard. The second one’s Anita’s from us.”  
“Guys, you’ve bought me enough already.” I said as Cherry put the present into my lap. “But thanks.”  
“You haven’t seen it yet.” Smiled Gregory.  
I could hear Rhys tearing the paper on his present and glanced back at him. His present seemed soft, as did mine but mine was heavy and bulky whereas his was small.  
I tore at the tape and heard Rhys laugh behind me. I stopped again and looked round at him. He was holding a leopard print thong.  
“Now you can look part of the Pard.” Zane said with a grin. “Even if you’re not.”  
“Thanks.” He said offering a hand to the males of the Pard and kissing Cherry and Vivian on the cheek. They’d bought us matching mugs too. One that said ‘The Boss’ and one that said ‘The Real Boss’. Guess which one I got?  
“Come on Anita, open yours.” Nathaniel said scooting forward as far as he could get with everyone else crowded round me.  
“Alright.” I finished opening the paper and folded it back to reveal black embroidered suede. “Oh my.” I stood up as I unfolded it to find a black suede coat with faux fur collar and cuffs. It came to just below my knees and was softer than anything I’d ever felt; besides the Pard themselves in leopard form. “Guys, it’s beautiful…you didn’t need to…wow.”  
“I do believe we are witnessing a first.” Doyle said. “Anita speechless.”  
Everyone laughed and I flipped him off with a smile. “Try it on.” Merry said and I slid the coat around me. It was heavily lined and not overly cumbersome. In fact it fit like a second skin.  
“The pockets are big enough for your Browning too.” Nathaniel grinned.  
I transferred my Browning from my shoulder holster to the pocket and tried drawing it. There was plenty of room and the material was so heavy it didn’t even hang odd with the gun in the pocket. The draw was smooth and easy, much better than the coat I already had and this one was warmer.   
“Thank you, all of you.” I sat down amongst them. “Come on, one time offer, group hug.” They were actually very civilised about it, whoever was nearest me hugging me, then the next person back hugging them etc…but I knew that they liked my direct touch better. “Okay, it’s not working.” I said and stood. “One each.”  
Cherry and Vivian were nearest. Hugging Vivian was fine, she wasn’t much taller than me, but Cherry was that bit taller and in her heels…well luckily she bent slightly so my face wasn’t pressed against her breasts. Gregory came next and he too was only a little taller than me meaning our cheeks pressed together as we hugged. He nuzzled a little but nothing uncomfortable. Zane I found myself pressed against his chest and he nuzzled the top of my head. He held on for just a moment too long but that was Zane. Nathaniel waited patiently with a small smile. He was the same height as Rhys and in my two inch heeled boots and him barefoot, there was barely and inch between us.  
“Your turn, Nathaniel.” I smiled. I held him against me and took in his musty scent of vanilla. If anyone ever asked me what the Pard smelt like I’d have said vanilla, mainly because Nathaniel was always here, more so that Cherry and Zane even. He sighed against me, while they all got something out of my touch, Nathaniel got the most. I lean back from him and kissed his cheek. “Thanks again, everyone.”  
“No fair, he got a kiss.” Zane said with a flash of fang.  
“For goodness sake.” I said rolling my eyes. I kissed each of the Pard in turn. “Anyone else?”  
“Wouldn’t say no.” Jason said with a grin from his seat in one of the armchairs.  
“I second the motion.” Said Galen.  
“Third.” Said Rhys with a smile.  
“You’re all assholes.” I frowned and went round the room kissing everyone I missed, even Merry. Frost and Doyle were certainly surprised, Kitto blushed. “Now I need a coffee, my lips are dry.” I said picking up my new mug. Nathaniel went and got a hanger for my coat and put it in the closet.  
“I could go for one of those.” Rhys said with a smile.  
“What does my mug say?” I said holding it out for him.  
“That you love me and you’ll make me a coffee.” He grinned.  
“Speaking of love.” Cherry said taking my left hand. “What’s this?”  
I glanced down at her. “An engagement ring.” I said. “Anyone else want coffee?”  
“You got engaged?” Vivian said moving round to look at the ring.  
“Yes. Coffee?”  
“When did that happen?”  
“Yesterday…or was it the day before?”  
“You don’t remember?” Cherry said in disbelief.  
“Anyone have any idea what day it was?” I looked round at Merry and the guards.  
“Early hours of Christmas morning.” She said.  
“Yesterday then.” I shrugged. “Does anyone else want a coffee or not?”  
The Pard started congratulating us, as did Stephen. Jason, Merry and the guards already knew, as did Nathaniel but he wasn’t about to miss out on a group activity.  
“Guys!” Rhys said standing. “What Anita is hinting at is she doesn’t want a fuss made.”  
They seemed to sigh as one. “Alright, no fuss.” Zane said pouting.  
“Coffee?” I asked again. “Final offer.” Almost everyone said yes. “Fuck.” I said and walked off into the kitchen.  
“Can I do anything do help?” Merry said coming into the room on my heels.  
“Yeah you can get…” I did a quick mental count. “Fifteen, less mine and Rhys’, you can get thirteen cups out, if I have that many.”  
“Consider it done.” She smiled. We both moved around the kitchen, me grinding beans for proper coffee, her setting out cups, spoons, sugar, and cream.   
“Is your sweater really okay?” I asked as the coffee started to drip through.  
“Its fantastic, the bracelet is great too.” We’d picked her out a small charm bracelet with various fey religious symbols on in case she ran into any vamps. They’d even been blessed for her. She was quiet for a moment. “Actually Anita I wanted to ask you a favour.”  
“Shoot.” I said breathing in the smell of fresh coffee. I never got tired of it.  
“It’s the kind of really big favour that’s hard to ask.” She looked embarrassed, kind of.  
“What is it?” I moved to stand in front of her.  
“Well I was speaking with the guards, and now that Cel has more punishment, well I have sixteen weeks he doesn’t to get pregnant.”  
“That’s a good thing right?” I frowned.  
“Yes, it’s a great thing.” She smiled slightly. “But…the guards and I might have a way of guaranteeing I get pregnant.”  
“Fantastic!” I smiled. “How? Or maybe I don’t want to know.”  
“You need to know.” Her smile faded. “Maybe we should sit down.”  
“Okay.” I didn’t like the sound of this. I didn’t know why, but I didn’t.  
We sat at the kitchen table. The backyard looked like a winter wonderland, snow clinging to every surface, untouched by anything.  
“You remember when you first came to stay Maeve Reed was pregnant?”  
“Yeah.”  
“Well I helped her get that way.”  
“What?” I didn’t understand and my expression showed it.  
“I performed a fertility ritual with Galen and we passed the power over to Maeve and her late husband and she got pregnant.” She sighed.  
“And you haven’t done this for yourself because…” I led.  
“Because I need someone else to perform the ritual. And I haven’t trusted another woman enough…until now.” She looked into my eyes and I felt them go wide.  
“Me?” My jaw fell open. “Merry, I don’t know shit about magic, not really. I couldn’t perform a…”  
“Anita,” she interrupted, “I don’t expect you to say yes. I want to give you time to consider it. But you’re the only person I trust enough to help me in this.” She looked so sincere, and I knew she was because I could smell it on her.   
“What would I have to do?”  
“The ritual is called through sex.”   
I stared at her. “Excuse me?”  
“Maybe I should explain how it worked with me and Galen. I called a magic circle in one of the secluded gardens near my old apartment and Galen and I called power while making love.”  
I stared at her. “I’d have to have sex outside?”  
“Its easier to call nature powers that way.” She shrugged. “Fertility rituals are one of the most natural.”  
“Merry, firstly I don’t know a thing about rituals other than necromancy and that’s not exactly the kind of thing you need for a baby and secondly you want me to have sex outside?”  
She laughed. “You don’t have to have sex outside but the power will be easier to call if you do.”  
“But I do have to have sex?”  
“I’m afraid so.” She smiled. “Galen and I held the power in us then passed it over to Maeve and Gordon, then they, well, they made a baby.”  
“And you think if I perform this ritual for you it’ll help you get pregnant?”  
“I’m sure it’ll work.” She nodded. “Galen said that…”  
“What is it with that recurring theme today?”   
“What theme?” she frowned.  
“Me sleeping with Galen.”  
“You don’t have to sleep with Galen.” She laughed. “You can perform the ritual with whomever you choose.” She narrowed her eyes at me, “Who else suggested you sleep with Galen?”  
“Long story. I need to have a private little chat with you and the guards on something. And soon.”  
The smile slipped from her face and she touched my hand gently. “Are you okay?”  
“Not really.” I smiled sadly. “But I’ll get use to it.”  
“Tell me?” she asked.  
I shook my head. “I don’t want to have to repeat myself. I’ll tell all of you together. But back to your problem?”  
She sighed. “Basically the guards have all agreed to let Frost be the father. They all know I’m in love with him and he’d make a great king, not just in name. Once you’ve called the power you and whomever you chose would pass it on to Frost and I and we would have a certain amount of time in which to…consummate.”  
“You mean fuck each other silly?” I raised an eyebrow, trying to lighten the mood.  
She grinned. “That too.”  
“Is it really that simple?” I asked. “I mean if you could explain how to call the power I suppose I could do it, I don’t really have that much magical experience.”  
Merry laughed loud and hard. “Anita, for someone who isn’t fey you wield a hell of a lot of power. You just don’t know how to channel it to different areas. I’ll teach you.”  
“Thanks.” I said pulling a face. “You realise I’m not a very good student?”  
“I’m willing to take that chance.” She smiled hopefully. “You mean you’ll try?”  
“If I can do it I will.” I nodded. “You’re a great friend Merry, the closest I’ve got, and I can’t leave you standing if I can help.”  
“Thank you.” She said and we hugged each other. “Now what about your problem?”  
I laughed. “Oh no you don’t, not without the guards.”  
“I’ll get them.” She said standing. “I want to know what’s got you looking so wistful, and why someone said you should sleep with Galen.”  
“I’ll pour coffee.” I stood and she hugged me again.  
“Thank you.” She said again and I smiled. I wasn’t sure what I’d let myself in for but it seemed to have made Merry's Christmas, no pun intended.  
“Anita.” I looked up from where I was pouring coffee into the mugs to see Nathaniel standing in the doorway from the lounge. “I need to start setting the food out, if you’re done in here.”  
“Sure.” I smiled. “I’m just going to tell Merry and the guards about the ‘big A’ and then we’ll be out of your hair.”  
“You’re never in my hair.” He grinned.  
“Just in the way when you cook.” I finished pouring the coffee. I picked up the tray and started round the counter when a sharp pain in my wrist made me put it down with a gasp.  
“You okay?” Nathaniel came up beside me quickly.  
I shook my wrist. “Yeah just a sudden sharp pain. Probably still healing the break.” I flexed my fingers a few times. “See, all gone.”  
“All the same I’ll take the tray.” He raised an eyebrow at me.  
“Okay, hold on.” I said rescuing my new mug and adding cream and sugar. “Now you can go.”  
“Want me to wait till you finish explaining to come back through?”  
“If you can work round us, work round us.” I said. “Its only going to be what Jean Claude told you earlier.”  
“I’ll work round you.” He smiled and left as Merry came in followed by the guards, including Rhys.  
I knew I was going to get embarrassed when I told them so I decided just to bite the bullet and tell the whole story apart from the names of those Jean Claude recommended. By the time I was done they were all looking at me wide-eyed, bar Rhys who’d come to stand beside me adding bits where he felt necessary, and I was a rather nice scalded scarlet from blushing.  
“Someone say something.” I said after five long minutes of the only noise being Nathaniel laying out plates on the table.  
“Only your life, Anita.” Doyle said shaking his head.  
“Yeah.” I said pulling a face. “Only my life.”  
“Anita, are you okay with this?” Merry was frowning with a look close to pity on her face. I didn’t want to see it.  
“Not really.” I said. “But what choice do I have? If I’ve got the ardeur permanently I’ll cope with it as best I can.”  
“And you, Rhys?” Merry stepped towards him. “How do you feel?”  
“Honestly?” I glanced at Rhys and the look on his face made me turn fully toward him and touch his arm. He looked over at me. “Honestly, I’m upset.”  
“Rhys…” I said softly and he placed a hand over mine.  
“I’ve finally found a woman I’m in love with, we’re engaged and suddenly…” he ran his other hand into his hair as though he had a headache. “Suddenly you might have to sleep with other men or go crazy. It’s not how I imagined our life, Anita.”  
“It’s not how I imagined our life either.” I shook my head. “Give me a couple of weeks and I should have it under control and we can get some degree of normality back.”  
“What if you don’t?” He turned suddenly and took me by the shoulders. “What if you become a slave to it? What if…”  
“Don’t what if me, Rhys.” I shrugged his arms off. “I can’t believe there’s no way of controlling this, there’s a way to master it and I’m going to do it. Jean Claude’s mastered it, Asher’s mastered it, I can master it.” It sounded stubborn even to me but what else was there to do?  
“What happens when it strikes, to the people around you I mean?” Merry asked.  
I looked to Rhys who lowered his head and pulled me against him. “I felt it when it first flared; it was like a fire coming from Anita. I was drawn to it but knew it was some kind of magic so shrugged it off. I could feel it from Anita though, so strong, and it was…” he shuddered against me. “It was scary but attractive. I could feel the pull of it but couldn’t give myself over because I wasn’t sure it was Anita. I’m hoping now I know it is still Anita that I’ll be able to help, instead of freaking out.”  
“So it effects the…I really don’t want to say victim.” Merry said. “But it affects the other person too?”  
“Apparently.” I murmured against Rhys’ chest. “Guys, I don’t know what to say. I don’t know how this thing works properly or what it does, just what it did this first time. I didn’t like it; it was like I wasn’t in control but could feel everything I was doing. It was…disturbing.”  
“We’re here for you.” She touched my arm gently. “I don’t know what we can do and I’m not sure who here would offer themselves if you need to, erm, feed and are stuck for…well you know what I mean.” She smiled apologetically. “But if you need friends, someone to talk to, we’re here for you.”  
“Thanks, Merry.” I smiled at her.  
“You’re welcome.” She stepped closer and Rhys wrapped an arm around her bringing her into a three-way hug. “You’ll be okay.” She said rubbing my back slightly. “You usually are.”


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anita and Rhys embrace the ardeur together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, THIS POINT HERE, this is where the alternate ending will come in. After the end I will post again stating the alternate ending begins again at this chapter, but you will recognise the beginning anyway! So enjoy the original, there is yet more to come!

Larry and Tammy called by later that day. His jaw was a horrific shade of purple with hints of black and green. It looked impressive. They were both surprised to see me out of my last cast but I told them it’d been x-rayed again and it was healed. They bought it, good for them, and stayed on for a couple of hours while we told them the full story of the previous day’s events. Well, mostly. Turns out Jean Claude had actually had Asher go to Dolph and explain what had happened and that it was all over. They’d even handed Genevieve over to the authorities to tie up the loose ends. She was scheduled for execution tomorrow. I was looking forward to it.  
Various members of the lukoi dropped by for a drink and the food was fantastic. Nathaniel laid on a terrific spread of home cooked cold meats and finger foods that would make any professional caterer proud. Well I thought so anyway. And I told him as much which had made him smile a lot.  
Jean Claude, Asher and Damian arrived a little after seven carrying more presents. So I had two new silk shirts from Damian, two charms, one a St Christopher, one a heart, for my charm bracelet from Asher as well as a gift box full of various coffees.   
Jean Claude gave me a replacement eternity ring, I had no idea how he got one on such short notice with so much going on but he’d managed. It was more beautiful than the last if that was possible. He also gave me an abundance of lingerie, which made me blush. He wanted me to show everyone every piece but I refused point blank. He said he had another present for me too but I’d have to wait until later for that. That made me blush all the more at the comments I got from everyone else.  
I allowed Jean Claude a sip of champagne once Larry and Tammy left; it was enough that everyone else saw his reaction as odd never mind those two.  
We sat watching ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ while drinking hot chocolate. It was warm and cosy. I was sitting on the floor again with Rhys sitting on the sofa behind me, legs either side of my body. The Pard, Jason and Stephen were sprawled over the floor, all touching me one way or another, but it was Nathaniel who had settled with his head on my lap, his body curled in a ball beside me, one arm wrapped around my back, the other draped over my legs.  
Jimmy Stewart was just running up Main Street wishing everyone Merry Christmas when I felt it. It felt like hunger pangs but lower, dangerously lower. Nathaniel’s head shot around to look at me and I stood quickly. I felt every eye turn on me as I took a step towards the door.  
“I’m just going to…” I hit the stairs at a run. I didn’t stop until I reached my room where I slammed the door and slid down it to sit on the floor. My body was aching to be touched, for any touch and I closed my eyes. There was a soft knock on the door and I jumped.  
“Anita?” It was Rhys. “Anita, can I come in?”  
“I don’t want this, Rhys.”  
“Honey, you don’t have much of a choice.” I sat quietly, not answering as my body screamed for him. After a minute that felt like an hour I scooted to one side and opened the door. At least I pushed the handle down, he did the rest; I just stayed sat behind the door. He crouched in front of me with a small frown on his face. I could smell him and it was all I could do not to knock him to the ground where he crouched. “Come on.” He offered me a hand. “We’ve gotta do this some time.”  
I looked as his hand for a moment but finally took it; the power rushing between us like an electrical circuit had been completed. I gasped and he echoed it and I closed my eyes. “I don’t know what control I have, Rhys.” I whispered.  
“Then let me lead.” He said drawing me to my feet. He stepped away from me, letting me go, although I knew it was an effort, and put the bed between us. “Let’s get out of these clothes first.” He smiled slightly and started undoing his buttons.   
I made a frustrated sound in my throat and started fumbling with the buttons on my blouse; my hands were shaking making it difficult and in the end I pulled it up over my head. I then tried to take my pants off without taking off my boots. I watched Rhys, the whole time getting more and more worked up. Finally I sat down on the bed and took off my boots hurriedly. By the time I’d got my pants off I’d steadied my breathing. I felt Rhys kneel on the bed and knew he meant to touch me. I slid off the bed onto the floor so he couldn’t reach me.  
“Anita…”  
“I don’t want to feed off you, Rhys.” I buried my head in my hands, knees up to my chest.  
“You have to. You can’t go without. Jean Claude said…”  
“I don’t care what Jean Claude said.” I pushed away from the bed and crawled to put my back to the wall, as far from him as I could get. I glanced up and it didn’t help my sanity. He was naked, kneeling on the bed and I could see every inch of him. The scars on his chest caught my eye and I wanted to nibble along them, lick them, kiss them…I shook my head. “I’m not treating you like food.”  
“Honey, you know what will happen if you don’t feed it.” He didn’t move, just stayed perfectly still but I could see him twitching as his body responded to the ardeur still pulsing from me in solid waves.  
“I can’t lose that much control, not again.” I closed my eyes against tears threatening to spill over.  
“I told you, I’ll lead.” I looked at him and he held out a hand to me. “I’d rather you fed from me than became an uncontrollable sex crazed nymphomaniac.”  
I laughed slightly. “Not many guys would say that you know?”  
“No, I know. What the hell’s wrong with me?” He pulled a face, his hand still held out in front of him. I sighed and held out my hand but kept it just out of reach. “You won’t hurt me, Anita.” And he closed the gap between us.   
He pulled me suddenly to him with that incredible strength the fey have, until I was pressed against him, kneeling on the bed in front of him. His hands immediately found my shoulders and held me to him as he kissed me. The ardeur flared the instant our lips locked onto one another, the kiss deepening instinctively as a hunger rivalling no other flared through me and into Rhys.   
He held me still, the start of his taking control but it was too restrictive, too much restraint, I needed his control to go, needed him to succumb completely and this wasn’t going to let him do that. I could control this, I knew I could. It was new but even as I tried to get closer, to press our bodies together harder and he stopped me, I knew I could take control and not harm Rhys, at least not in a way he wouldn’t appreciate.  
I moved slowly at first, sliding my hands up his chest until they were where I wanted them, then with a speed we had learned was lycanthropically fast I knocked his hands from my shoulders and pushed him back with my full body weight. He was surprised enough that he pulled his mouth from mine and as he straightened his legs from under him, his hands lightly touched my shoulders again.  
“Anita?” he asked softly.  
“I want to try, Rhys. I have to know I can control it. If it gets out of hand you can take over, but please let me try.”  
He looked searchingly into my eyes, carefully studying me as though he’d be tested later. “Alright.” He finally nodded, once, slowly.  
“Thank you.” I whispered, as I lowered my lips to his and brushed them together gently. He slid his hands around my shoulders to gently caress my back and I arched against him, pressing our lower bodies still closer together and reminding me what the ardeur wanted.   
“It’s not sex.” I murmured as I kissed from his lips softly across his jaw and trailed my tongue down his neck and over the big pulse pounding there. His breathing quickened as I did so but as I reached the pulse he stilled, holding his breath as though he feared what I might do. But this time it wasn’t blood that the ardeur wanted.  
I bypassed his pulse a moment later and I realised I’d been drinking in his fear as sure as any wine. It had been a strange rush, the feel of his body against me so intimately, responding in a way that was natural to every man on the planet at some time in his life, and yet his breathing and scent telling me he was scared, not for himself but that I’d lose control and never forgive myself. His breath sighed out of him then he gave a shuddering gasp as I flicked my tongue over his nipple and I smiled. I teased it to a point with my teeth and then bit small, hard bites down the edge of his scar that passed so close by. I didn’t linger long enough on any one point to tell whether I drew blood or not but his reaction told me he was enjoying the generous mix of pleasure and pain. As a fey it was almost second nature and as one of Andais’ ravens, from what I’d heard you either liked it or you liked it, the choice wasn’t yours. Rhys definitely liked it. There was a small part of me that knew I liked it too but wasn’t sure my pleasure/pain level was quite what Rhys’ was and as a fey he could take a lot more damage than me. I’d always kept the level down in both our foreplay and lovemaking but right now a little pain might be what threw Rhys over the edge and proved to myself that I could control the ardeur and didn’t necessarily need sex to fulfil it.  
As Rhys’ body writhed slightly below me, as though he was fighting not to arch his spine, I moved slowly down over his scar, biting and possibly bruising as I went, leaving no doubt about where I was going but leaving a great uncertainty as to how long it would take for me to get there. The end of his scar came into view and I bit harder here, as though making sure I marked him before I moved onto other things; it wouldn’t do to get further on and then want to mark him, I wasn’t sure he’d appreciate it, regardless of his views on pain. I was knelt between his legs now, my face pressed to him just above his perfect abdominal muscles and trailed kisses around his ribcage and my movement sideways across his body rather than downwards drew a frustrated sound from him and he ground himself against me, the firm hardness of him pressing between my breasts. I smiled to myself, allowing myself a moment but then the ardeur hit again like a runaway freight train, bringing my mind back to what my body and soul wanted; his release; him to succumb to me completely.  
I moved again, licking around his belly button and down the soft white hairs that smattered where most men were dark, changing to soft, wet kisses then raising my head to blow the rest of the way. The moan he made had the ardeur shaking through me with delight and as the fullness of him came into view I blinked, making sure my vision was working properly so I could enjoy this moment with all my senses.  
I started at the base of him and licked, slowly, as you would a Popsicle in the heat of summer. I sensed rather than saw his hands convulsing on the bedclothes, clenching and releasing. I didn’t think I had this affect on him, not so quickly, but with the addition of the ardeur, maybe it was the difference between staying power and losing it. I moved my hand to hold him and lowered my mouth over him, taking first only the tip of him in my mouth and caressing around him with my tongue. I moved him inside me slower, taking more each time I went down, his moans increasing the deeper he went. After many minutes with tongue, lips and admittedly a little teeth that didn’t seem unwelcome at all, I felt his control beginning to slip. I moved back until he was barely inside my mouth and stroked him once more with my tongue. His control went and I moved away, laying him gently against himself as he came. Rhys screamed and the ardeur drank it down, satisfying its hunger with Rhys’ release as I closed my eyes.  
I sat back on my heels, feeling full and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. Rhys’ breathing was heavy, his eye glazed and his hands slack against the crumpled bed clothes. There were several bruises along his chest scar, teeth marks that were slightly blood filled, the worst being at the bottom of the scar; I felt proud of that bruise. It was what I’d wanted at the time. I sensed something and turned to face the door.  
“Everything’s okay, Jean Claude. You can go back downstairs.”   
“As much as I believe you, ma petite, I would like Rhys’ word on that also.”  
I looked back at Rhys and back at the door. “I’m not entirely sure he’s up to speaking right now.” I got off the bed, threw on my robe and threw Rhys’ over the lower part of him. I opened the door. “But you can look for yourself if you’d like.”  
Jean Claude looked at me cautiously as he came into the room. He looked over at Rhys who was blinking as though returning from a deep sleep. He sat on the bed beside him and studied him carefully. “Are you truly well, mon ami?”  
Rhys tried to speak but it took him a few attempts, finally licking his lips as though parched. “An understatement.” He said. “That was, wow. Is it always like that?”  
Jean Claude looked between the two of us, Rhys trying to sit himself up, me standing with my back to the now closed door. I wasn’t quite sure I’d done good or not, where the ardeur was concerned. Jean Claude’s face was letting onto nothing other than a small frown which could have meant anything.  
Finally he spoke. “You controlled yourself? Rhys has no further damage?”  
I let out a sigh. “I didn’t bite his cock off if that’s what you mean.”  
He raised an eyebrow. “Not entirely what I meant but if you truly controlled, it truly took control of the situation and didn’t succumb…” he stood and moved to me, taking me in his arms. “You are stronger than any of us could imagine.”  
“I’d like to say she was well behaved but gee, good girls don’t do that.” Rhys said. He was propped up on one elbow with one knee raised, his robe having slipped until he was barely covered.  
“You’re funny.” I said.  
Jean Claude again looked between us again. “Let me just make sure I have got this straight; you can look at Rhys, like that, and you do not feel the pull of the ardeur?”  
“Not right now.” I shrugged.  
Jean Claude shook his head then kissed the top of mine. “Ma petite, you never fail to surprise me.”


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end of a very weird, yet very Anita, Christmas.

Rhys showered and I got dressed. Jean Claude stayed with me and we chatted. He told me that I could expect the ardeur to sometimes be harder to resist than others, harder to control, that I may take this occasion as winning a battle but the war was far from lost. I hated to admit it but I knew deep down he was right. I’d been lucky and if this thing truly was permanent as it seemed it may be, I was going to be doing a lot of…exercises in control these next few weeks. Either way I was determined to have a degree of control by the time I went back to work. I was stubbornly determined not to have this run my life. Or ruin it. Jean Claude thought I was being naïve but I looked at it more as a goal for me to try and reach. Something for me to aim for. And I hated failure.  
Once I was dressed Jean Claude and I went downstairs without waiting for Rhys. I was starving hungry and went straight in the kitchen, filled a plate with food, in fact filled is an understatement, I piled a plate high with food, took a fork and a can of soda and went back through to the lounge, resumed my position on the floor and began stuffing my face.  
Then I became aware that everyone was looking at me. “What?” I asked around a mouthful of ham.  
It was Merry who answered. “Is Rhys going to rejoin us?”  
I nodded and swallowed. “He’s just taking a shower.”  
“It got messy.” Galen said and I looked to see him with a mischievous grin on his face.   
“He got messy.” I said. “I’m still spotless.”  
“Only physically, ma petite.” Jean Claude added.  
I shrugged. “Everything else was stained a long time ago, or tainted at least. But if you don’t mind, I wanna eat.” I resumed trying to fill myself up but Jean Claude continued to speak.  
“It is not unusual that you are so hungry. The ardeur often increases all appetites. You may find yourself much hungrier than before, and you will burn off energy much quicker.”  
“You mean like when a lycanthrope shifts?” I asked before biting the end off a pickle and making every man in the room cringe.  
“Somewhat.” He nodded. “A lycanthrope uses extra energy for a good many things and as such, as you know, they eat more than a normal human, if there is such a thing any more.”  
“Not in this house.” Zane said. If I’d been able I’d have ribbed him but he was right. I didn’t know the last time a regular human had stepped over my threshold…maybe it was Edward. I’d have to have a think.  
“Regardless, you must make sure you now eat whenever you feel hungry, even the slightest pang. If you neglect to feed one hunger, the other may become worse.”  
I went wide eyed and glanced at Merry who had raised her eyebrows. “Define worse.”  
“Uncontrollable.” He said as though it was nothing.  
“How uncontrollable?” Now I was worried.  
He sat forward in his chair and clasped his hands in front of him, his elbows on his knees. “If you had not eaten all day, if the ardeur had not struck in several hours, if you had used your powers on several raisings; if you were to walk in here and the ardeur struck…there is a good chance that everyone in this room would try and fall upon you.”  
I laughed, one quick burst, more nerves than anything. I knew he wasn’t joking but Asher took it to mean I did. “It is true, ma cherie, I have seen it too many times. Eat often; do not unnecessarily use your powers, rest when you can, unless you wish to get to know your friends better than you ever wished.” His face was grave but then Asher could do sombre better than anyone else I’d ever met.  
“Okay, I’ll make sure I eat regularly.”  
It was Nathaniel who started the laughing that most everyone echoed so it was him who got my glare. For once it didn’t seem to faze him. “I’m sorry.” He said with a smile. “But in all the time I've been staying over here I have never seen you have breakfast and if it wasn’t in your contract to have a lunch break, I don’t think you’d remember to eat then.”  
“Eat to live, don’t live to eat.” I shrugged.  
“Maybe you should change that. The more you enjoy food the more likely you are to remember to eat.” Jean Claude added.  
I sighed. “My life is not the kind of place I can stop everything for a meal. Nathaniel can pick me up some high energy bars or something so if I’m on the move I can eat until I can get something proper. I’ll try and make a change though.”  
“Ma petite, I am not doing this to make your life difficult. I wish only to warn you, and your closest friends, what may happen.” He was frowning but it still barely lined his immortally beautiful face. “So if you would take the look out of your eyes that says I am doing this on purpose, we could all be happy.”  
“Happy is irrelevant.” Merry said. “Satisfied that Anita is being sensible would suit me.”  
I looked at her. “What if I give my word that unless it is a very urgent situation or execution or something I will try and look after myself and I will even delegate Nathaniel as my official well being officer. If I don’t eat he can feed me.”  
“In every aspect?” Nathaniel looked hopeful.  
I narrowed my eyes. “We’ll see.” But delight still lit up his face.  
Rhys joined us again several minutes later. The rest of our day late Christmas went beautifully; no ardeur; no revenant vamps; no executions; no were attacks; nothing but a group of friends enjoying the season of goodwill and each others company.  
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, that was it, the final chapter in my original version! Tomorrow comes the alternate ending!
> 
> Finally on this chapter, the quote; 'eat to live, don't live to eat' came from my late Nan who helped raise me with my mum and grandad. She's been gone so long but still leaves me little reminders, like this, and I now know first hand what that quote means on a deeper level. Food intolerances and allergies suck.


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 29 - ALTERNATE ENDING

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here begins the alternate ending, which is pretty much just alternate SMUT! Warning - Multiples, if that is a warning, maybe more of a promise?

Larry and Tammy called by later that day. His jaw was a horrific shade of purple with hints of black and green. It looked impressive. They were both surprised to see me out of my last cast but I told them it’d been x-rayed again and it was healed. They bought it, good for them, and stayed on for a couple of hours while we told them the full story of the previous days events. Turns out Jean Claude had actually had Asher go to Dolph and explain what had happened and that it was all over. They’d even handed Genevieve over to the authorities to tie up the loose ends. She was scheduled for execution tomorrow, not that I was looking forward to it or anything.  
Various members of the lukoi dropped by for a drink and the food was fantastic. Nathaniel laid on a terrific spread of home cooked cold meats and finger foods that would make any professional caterer proud. Well, I thought so anyway, and everyone else seemed mightily impressed.   
Jean Claude, Asher and Damian arrived a little after seven carrying more presents. So I had two new silk shirts from Damian; two charms, one a St Christopher, one a heart, for my charm bracelet from Asher as well as a gift box full of various coffees.   
Jean Claude gave me a replacement eternity ring, I had no idea how he got one on such short notice with so much going on but he’d managed. It was more beautiful than the last if that was possible. He also gave me an abundance of lingerie, which made me blush. He wanted me to show everyone every piece but I refused point blank. He said he had another present for me too but I’d have to wait until later for that. That made me blush all the more at the comments I got from everyone else.  
I allowed Jean Claude a sip of champagne once Larry and Tammy left; it was enough that everyone else saw his reaction as odd, never mind those two.  
We sat watching ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ while drinking hot chocolate. It was warm and cosy. I was sitting on the floor again with Rhys sitting on the sofa behind me, legs either side of my body. The Pard, Jason and Stephen were sprawled over the floor, all touching me one way or another, but it was Nathaniel who had settled with his head on my lap, his body curled in a ball beside me, one arm wrapped around my back, the other draped over my legs as I stroked his hair absently.  
Jimmy Stewart was just running up Main Street wishing everyone Merry Christmas when I felt it. It was like hunger pangs but lower, dangerously lower. Nathaniel’s head shot around to look at me and I stood quickly. I felt every eye turn on me as I took a step towards the door.  
“I’m just going to…” I hit the stairs at a run. I didn’t stop until I reached my room where I slammed the door and slid down it to sit on the floor. My body was aching to be touched, for any touch and I closed my eyes, trying to even my rapid breathing. There was a soft knock on the door and I jumped.  
“Anita?” Of course, it was Rhys. “Anita, can I come in?”  
“I don’t want this, Rhys.”  
“Honey, you don’t have much of a choice.” I sat quietly, not answering as my body screamed for him. After a minute that felt like an hour I scooted to one side and opened the door. At least I pushed the handle down, he did the rest, I just stayed behind the door. He crouched in front of me with a small frown on his face. I could smell him and it was all I could do not to knock him to the ground where he crouched. “Come on.” He offered me a hand. “We’ve gotta do this some time.”  
I looked as his hand for a moment with tears in my eyes but finally took it, the power rushing between us like an electrical circuit had been completed. I gasped and he echoed it and I closed my eyes. “I don’t know what control I have.” I whispered.  
“Then let me lead.” He said drawing me to my feet. He stepped away from me, letting me go, although I knew it was an effort, and put the bed between us. “Let’s get out of these clothes first.” He smiled slightly and started undoing his buttons.   
I made a frustrated sound in my throat and started fumbling with the buttons on my blouse; my hands were shaking, making it difficult and in the end I pulled it up over my head but not before getting it caught on my shoulder rig. Next I tried to take my pants off without taking off my boots. I watched Rhys, the whole time getting more and more worked up. Finally I sat down on the bed and took off my boots hurriedly. By the time I’d got my pants off I’d steadied my breathing. I felt Rhys kneel on the bed and knew he meant to touch me. I slid off the bed onto the floor so he couldn’t reach me.  
“Anita…”  
“I don’t want to feed off you, Rhys.” I buried my head in my hands, knees up to my chest.  
“You have to. You can’t go without. Jean Claude said…”  
“I don’t care what Jean Claude said.” I pushed away from the bed and crawled to put my back to the wall, as far from him as I could get. I glanced up and it didn’t help my sanity. He was naked, kneeling on the bed and I could see every inch of him. The scars on his chest caught my eye and I wanted to nibble along them, lick them, kiss them…I shook my head and closed my eyes. “I’m not treating you like food.”  
“Honey, you know what will happen if you don’t feed it.” He didn’t move, just stayed perfectly still but I could see him twitching as his body responded to the ardeur still pulsing from me in solid waves.  
“I can’t lose that much control, not again.” I closed my eyes against tears threatening to spill over.  
“I told you, I’ll lead.” He held out a hand to me. “I’d rather you fed from me than became an uncontrollable sex crazed nymphomaniac.”  
I laughed slightly. “Not many guys would say that, you know?”  
“No, I know. What the hell’s wrong with me?” He pulled a face that was mostly a smile, his hand still held out in front of him. “Come on. We don’t know until we try.”  
I looked at him long and hard, no pun intended given the view I had. “I don’t know if I can let you lead.”  
He quirked an eyebrow at me, lowering his hand finally. “Not even try?”  
I groaned and covered my eyes with my hands. “I can’t promise anything. I want you, Rhys, I want to taste you, to drink you down.” I looked up at him. “I can’t promise control and you want me to give that to you.”  
He opened his mouth to speak but we were interrupted by a soft knock on the door.  
“This bedroom is haunted by the ghosts of interruption!” I pushed myself to stand intent on screaming at whoever was outside the door but Jean Claude’s soft voice came through the woodwork before I reached it.  
“May I come in?”  
I looked at Rhys who sat back on his heels and shrugged. He didn’t mind.  
“Sure.” I stepped away from the door, walking parallel with the bed until I reached the nightstand, as far as I could go.  
He entered the room and looked between us. “Things do not appear to be going...well, at all.”  
“I don’t want to feed from Rhys.” I muttered, looking between them both as my heart sped and a cold sweat broke out on my skin. I wasn’t sure how I was still fighting this and I knew it wasn’t going to end well if this continued.  
“Now is not the time to start lying to us, ma petite.” Jean Claude smiled sadly at me. He held his hand out to me as Rhys had moments before and again I just stared at it. “You wish to feed you just do not wish it to be a bad experience for Rhys, who perhaps for the first time in centuries is the virgin in the bedroom.” I couldn’t help myself, I laughed, despite the seriousness and a glance at Rhys showed he found it funny too. “If you will allow me, both of you,” he looked seriously to Rhys, “I will lead Anita so she, you can both, learn that the ardeur is not just a one sided affair, that it can sate one and many at the same time.”  
“How many?” I frowned as Rhys said; “Alright.”  
“Just us three, ma petite.” He smiled, his hand still held towards me. “I will show you, lead you. Help you take from Rhys what you need without him feeling like a victim or dessert. No abuse, just the three of us, lovers, sating the thirst of one without draining the others.”  
“Anita’s never...” Rhys stopped and I looked at him. He knew I’d never, well, never done anything with more than one of the men in my life at one time, other than snuggle and sleep, Jean Claude knew this perhaps more than him.  
“This will not be about sex, or what Anita classes as sex at least.” Jean Claude was in front of me suddenly and my breath caught. “Despite what ma petite may have inferred as we bathed her, she is not ready for all we could offer her.” He looked deep into my eyes as he talked about me and I swallowed, my mouth suddenly dry. “So take my hand, ma amore, let me show you not to be afraid of the unknown.”


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 30 - ALTERNATE ENDING

I looked at Jean Claude’s hand again in front of my face and this time I took it. Touching skin to skin was enough to make me close my eyes, sigh shudderingly as the ardeur tried to make me jump him, tried to make me rip his shirt from his flesh and feed from him. That made me jolt my eyes open again. I had to be so careful with him, or the fourth mark...I just had to be careful.  
“What do you want me to do?” Rhys asked, he still hadn’t moved and a glance at him showed he was as unsure as I felt.  
Jean Claude turned a smile on him and it said he was thinking dirty little thoughts, even from my side view. “Just lay back, mon ami, and be prepared.”  
“For what?” He frowned but shifted, laying with his head on his pillow.  
“For whatever ma petite may throw at you.” He grinned then, flashing a little fang and it tightened things inside me.  
He pulled on my hand and took me to the end of the bed, releasing my hand to remove his shirt and boots. I moved my hands automatically to the ties at his waist but he took my wrists and put them on his chest. “Non, ma petite, I will keep the pants.”  
“Really?” I stepped forward and pressed my naked chest to his.  
“Really.” He smiled and turned me in his arms to face Rhys but held me close to him, bending his head to whisper in my ear. “I will show you, though it is early days and you lack the control, how to take from him without it being a bad experience for either of you, to take just as much as you need and leave you both satisfied and unscathed by the experience, but you must listen and follow my instructions as I give them.”  
“I’m not going to do anything I don’t want to...am I?”  
“I will not push your boundaries, ma petite, but I may suggest things you do not quite understand until that point of the ardeur is upon you.” He kissed my shoulder softly and nudged me slowly towards the bed. “Look at Rhys.” His voice was a whisper on my skin and I found my breathing was already laboured, my pulse racing as I looked at the pale fey on my, our bed. He was scarred and beautiful and although our conversation had softened him slightly I wanted him. “What do you want to do to him?”  
“I want him.” I said, barely a sound passing my lips but he would have heard, Rhys would not.  
“How?”  
“I want...” I swallowed at what I was about to admit. “I want to take him in my mouth.”  
Jean Claude’s arms tensed momentarily. “Do you trust yourself with something so precious when the ardeur is upon you?”  
He had a point. I’d almost bitten Jean Claude last night at the merest hint of blood running deep and shallow in his veins, there was probably too many veins and too much blood to trust myself when I had such little control. “No.”  
“Use your tongue, ma petite, and your lips, your hands, but not your teeth. Perhaps move further up if you feel the need to...nibble, but if you stay away from major veins you should not have such a deep desire to bleed him.”  
I closed my eyes as images darted through my mind as Jean Claude spoke, they were so tangible I could almost taste them. My skin felt as though it was on fire and Jean Claude’s arms around me, I realised, were the only things keeping me from pouncing at Rhys.  
“You do not have to have sex with him, not full intercourse, ma petite, but you can bring him. Make him come for you alone. You bring him, his desire, his full release at your hand, will be enough to put out that fire you feel burning within you.” He let go of me so suddenly I almost stumbled forward, opening my eyes again. I grabbed at his hand by mine and gripped it tightly, unmoving.  
“Come with me.” I murmured.  
“Ma petite?”   
“Just hold my hand, touch my back, something.” I took a step towards the bed, my eyes fully on Rhys’ face which read with confusion. “Ground me.”  
“As you wish.” He walked with me to bed and I crawled to straddle Rhys’ knees. Jean Claude sat to one side of Rhys’ legs.  
“Do you actually want me to do anything?” Rhys’ voice drew my eyes to his face, I hadn’t realised I’d been fixating on his six pack until now. He gave us a sort of half smile that said he really wasn’t sure what he was doing there as so far Jean Claude and I hadn’t actually included him.  
“Enjoy yourself, mon ami.” Jean Claude smiled at him and tugged on my hand, putting me slightly off balance so I fell forward against Rhys. I put my free hand out to catch me and found myself staring again at his abs. They were too close and too inviting and I leant in and licked a wet line down between them, not stopping when my tongue reached the soft featherlike hairs that led down like a delicious trail of breadcrumbs left for me.  
“Oooooohhhh-Kay.” Rhys’ voice was tight as a glance up showed his head drop back against the pillows. Whatever he’d been expecting I don’t think this was it.  
Jean Claude released my hand and trailed his fingers up my arm to my shoulder, freeing me to run my own fingers down Rhys’ hip which raised slightly at my touch, grinding the part of him I was aiming for against my breasts which suddenly made a magical heat start inside me. If I’d thought the ardeur was bad a moment ago, now it demanded me to respond, to take what I needed in a hot rush.  
I moved suddenly, pushing Rhys’ legs apart and kneeling between them, further down so I could lick the part of him that had ignited the flames of desire that wanted extinguishing. I started at the base and licked up, slowly, almost barely a movement and to my delight he grew as I drew my tongue up him. He groaned and I could feel the tension in his muscles as he tried not to thrust against my mouth.  
Jean Claude’s hand moved down my spine and touched feather soft, back and forth across my skin so gently it was almost not there, not enough to distract me but just enough to remind me he was there.  
I reached the tip of Rhys’ most intimate part, took the base of him in my hand and placed a wet, open mouthed kiss on the very end, followed by rolling my tongue over him which brought a; “Sweet Goddess.” Through his partially open lips.  
**”Ma petite,”** Jean Claude’s voice whispered through my head as I licked around Rhys’ tight end, tracing every line individually. **”I am holding the ardeur back, but I cannot hold it much longer. You must hurry lest you harm Rhys in your rush. Bring him to the edge, I will do the rest.”**  
I nodded slightly which allowed me to take the tip into my mouth slightly and I pulled back. I slid myself up Rhys’ body slowly, my hand releasing his shaft and going lower to caress the softness of his sac, smooth with shaving and such a different texture to that which I had just held. I kissed along his ribcage, nipping with teeth, licking soft lines as he moaned. Jean Claude shifted his position entirely, not once removing his touch from me, until he lay spooning me, his naked chest pressed against my back. He ran his palm down my arm and laced his fingers between mine as I caressed Rhys most intimately. Rhys didn’t seem to mind, in fact he groaned and I felt the ardeur begin to leak from Jean Claude and into me and I felt like I was on fire. My skin burned with need and my entire body shuddered, freezing for a moment, my hand continuing to move on Jean Claude’s continuance rather than my own. Rhys trembled under my hand and I knew he was close, his groans deep and throaty. My lips were pressed beside his nipple and the smallest of movements closed the distance as I flicked my tongue over the taut, puckered skin. The rhythm of my tongue matched that of my and Jean Claude’s hands and Rhys finally moved his hand from under me, touching my hair softly, tentatively as though he wasn’t sure he was allowed. I didn’t stop him however and a moment later Jean Claude moved too, kissing my shoulder and neck softly. I sighed against Rhys’ skin as he pressed himself against my hand. The heat inside me had reached its peak and I felt Rhys’ desire seeping from him into me and, to a lesser degree, Jean Claude. I pressed myself against Rhys’ side as Jean Claude pressed his leather clad self into me and it wasn’t enough. I knew I’d kept them separate for this long but what was the point? I loved them both, equally, for many different reasons, but it was still love and they loved me. I wanted the circuit complete, for us all to be together. Okay, perhaps I wasn’t ready for the full works, but there were other ways.  
“Jean Claude.” I whispered against Rhys as I nipped at his skin. “Bite me.”  
The men on the bed froze.  
“What?” Rhys raised his head from the bed, confusion in his eye.  
“Ma petite, you speak from the ardeur.”  
“Partially.” I looked to Rhys then over my shoulder to Jean Claude, so close a breath would close the distance. “Partially realisation. Complete us, Jean Claude, just do it.”  
“You would regret it immediately.” He said quietly but ground himself against my back as though the offer was enough of a turn on on its own.  
“I promise I won’t." I licked at his lips. “You don’t even have to drink, just link us Jean Claude, properly, please.”  
“Your neck has already been a bruised mess once this week, ma petite.”  
“So be gentle.”  
He looked at me from so close, his eyes drowning pools of deepest blue. I tried to stare him down but the ardeur washed over us and I trailed my nails unintentionally over and up Rhys, his head dropped back to the bed as he moaned and the ardeur drunk him down, tightening things within me although I had barely been touched.  
I nuzzled at Jean Claude’s face, whispered; “Please.” Against his skin and his breath trembled against my cheek.  
“Ma petite...” He was still reluctant.  
“Please.” I said again and squeezed our hands together over Rhys which made him cry out and arch his back.  
“Fuck, Jean Claude, just bite her! We’ll deal with the aftermath if there is one!” Rhys’ strained voice made my head shoot back round to look at his face. I leant away from Jean Claude and whispered; “Thank you.” against Rhys’ lips and kissed him with all I had, continuing to caress and stroke him as he murmured into my mouth.  
“Mon dieu, I am being railroaded.” Jean Claude’s voice came close to my ear. “No regrets?”  
“No regrets.” I pulled back from Rhys’ lips to murmur as I looked into his sparkling eye.  
“No....oh gods, regrets. Hell no.” Rhys managed and I chuckled and kissed him again as Jean Claude released the full strength of the ardeur over us. I whimpered into Rhys’ mouth as his lust hit me with the full force of a metaphysical freight train and I felt it running into and through me into Jean Claude who chose that moment to break the skin on my neck. Coming from a line of vamps who used sex as an everyday commodity, Jean Claude was an expert and his bite exceeded that of many vamps on an orgasmic level but throw with it the final stages of this new power, this new hunger, Rhys below my fingertips, writhing as his mouth fed at mine and he made inaudible noises into me. He cupped my cheek and I was lost to it all. No real penetration yet I was undone.   
I came in a orgasm of tremendous proportion, screaming into Rhys’ mouth as I felt him release under my hand. Jean Claude pulled his mouth from my throat, gently but he groaned as he did so, pressing himself into my back, forcing sensitive, untouched parts of me against Rhys’ naked thigh.  
We writhed together for a few moments, pulling my mouth from Rhys as we all made appreciative, uncontrollable noises, shuddering and twitching for what seemed like an eternity, and under it all, the ardeur drank and fed, draining from Rhys into me, sating me in a way I couldn’t imagine possible.  
I collapsed beside Rhys and Jean Claude collapsed behind me a moment later and we all gasped for breath, hearts racing. Jean Claude raised our linked hands from Rhys and kissed my palm softly. We lay silently until eventually I felt the need to say something.  
“Oh my.” Was all I could manage.  
Rhys chuckled beside me and Jean Claude kissed my shoulder.  
“Are we all well?” Jean Claude’s voice was low and quiet, his bedroom voice which was obviously appropriate.  
“Uh huh.” I nodded, a little too fast.  
“Mmm.” Rhys said simply, blinking long and slow.  
“Physically and mentally?” Jean Claude asked again as though we hadn’t actually understood him.  
I moved our linked hands to my neck and touched it gently, it was no sorer that it had been in the last few days, in fact I could barely feel it. “Nothing to see here.” I dropped my head back and smiled at him as he raised his head a little to see me properly.  
“Truly?”  
“Uh huh.” I replied.  
He frowned and it was a confused look. “I do not understand, ma petite, I give you the ardeur, a terrible thing, and on your second feeding you choose to allow me something you have never, ever allowed. Do I worry something else has changed or gone wrong?”  
I shook my head slightly and it was hard to talk to him at this angle but I continued anyway. “I think when you held it back from me I had a moment to see clearly. My blood, even a little, can be potent to you; your bite is, well, potent is a mild way of putting it; Rhys is here and we all link together in some weird dead/death ménage a trois but it works for us, really works. We could all enjoy ourselves, it didn’t just have to be about me learning to feed, and it didn’t have to be about me figuring out what the hell we do in a spit-roast situation.”  
Rhys burst out laughing and it was a sudden, joyous sound, joined a moment later by Jean Claude. I shuddered as the two men I loved most in the world took a turn at kissing me on either cheek as they laughed.  
“Oh geez.” Rhys wiped at his good eye when his laughter started to subside. “I was so worried something might go wrong I forgot how innocent you are.”  
“Innocent? Seriously?” I raised my eyebrows.  
“Ma petite, we have not corrupted you completely. Not yet.” Jean Claude nuzzled at my cheek.  
“Oh there’s still so much we could show you.” Rhys smiled at me and it out and out twinkled with satisfaction and happiness.  
“But we are waiting for your...sensibilities to allow us.” Jean Claude replied.  
I narrowed my eyes at them, looking between them. “You two have discussed exactly what you’d do with me, huh?”  
“Speculation.” They said at the same time and shared a look as though they had been ready for me bringing this up.  
“You two are assholes.” I decided and tried to sit up, not really cross but it was interesting to know they could discuss this kind of thing with getting all guy about it.  
They both put a hand on my hip at the same time, Rhys’ hand a moment after Jean Claude so only his palm was on me, his fingertips on top of Jean Claude’s. It didn’t seem to bother Rhys, being touched intimately by Jean Claude. Guess that’s what living under Andais for a few hundred years would do to you, you lost a lot of choice about what you would and wouldn’t do. But then maybe it opened you to things you wouldn’t have normally considered. I shook my head at the thought. The fey were sexual creatures and if you lived as long as they did I guess experimentation was all part of the process.  
“Just stay.” Rhys said, rolling onto his side to face me.   
“You two are smutty horn dogs who talk about me sexually behind my back.” I frowned at him. “Most likely mind to mind while I’m in the room!”  
“Mostly mind to mind while you are in the room.” Rhys grinned at me and wiggled his eyebrows.  
I slapped him playfully. I knew they talked about me, I didn’t like it but I couldn’t do a damn thing about it.  
Jean Claude tightened his hand on my hip briefly. “I would love nothing more but to lay here and tease you more, ma amore, but you are being a terrible hostess.”  
I thought for a moment what could happen if we didn’t have guests downstairs waiting for us then dismissed it. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know right now.  
“I guess we should get up.” I sighed and Rhys kissed me quickly.  
“It’s okay for you two, you don’t have to shower.”  
Jean Claude chuckled as I realised he was right. A quick trip to the bathroom and I’d be right as rain but Rhys, he was...sticky.   
“I’ll send your apologies.”  
I bagged the bathroom first and was getting dressed moments later while Rhys showered. Jean Claude helped me, although I didn’t need it, it was nice to be fussed over by one of the men I loved.


	33. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 31 - Alternate Ending

So after embarrassingly returning to my guests, who had not only known what we were doing but had felt the power and, well, responded appropriately, we had an enjoyable, if somewhat different, late Christmas evening.  
Before Merry left after new years we sat down with Rhys and the guards and discussed the ritual. I didn’t feel any better about it but I couldn’t let Merry down if I could help. Rhys was delighted by the idea, proud to have been asked, and rather excited about getting me naked in the yard. For any other reason I’d most likely have said no but for Merry I’d do it. I just hoped it worked. She had the perfect chance to double her baby-making efforts with Cel being punished for so long. I really wasn’t sure how a necromancer and a former death god were going to create life from so much death but stranger things had happened. Mostly to me.  
The ardeur continued to be a blot on my landscape but with help from my men it’s getting into a routine and I’m learning I have to embrace some donors or suffer the consequences. The consequences didn’t just affect me either.  
So I’d moan it wasn’t fair, but life rarely was. But when I looked at Jean Claude and Rhys I realised that if this was unfair, I could deal with it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is it, that was the last chapter of In The Bleak Midwinter! Watch tomorrow for the next story in the series; Elementary, My Dear Sidhe!
> 
> I hope you have enjoyed our journey through Christmas with Anita! Thank you to everyone for comments, kudos, hits, everything! It is most appreciated!
> 
> I promise that the pic of me in Anita gear is coming, I just haven't figured out how to do so yet (working out to to put my pic in html format apparently hits Anita's level of technophobia, although it does pain me to admit it! Maybe I'm just showing my age!
> 
> Anyway, on to the next story!

**Author's Note:**

> Something just dawned on me, a looooong time ago I went as Anita to my birthday fancy dress party, my husband went as Rhys, and my two friends as Merry and Galen. I have pics around somewhere, they aren't great, but if anyone wanted to see I would consider *maybe* sharing?


End file.
